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INSECTS 


INJURIOUS  TO 


VEGETATION. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

NCSU  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/treatiseonsomOOharr 


TREATISE 


ON    SOME    OP   THE 


INSECTS   OF   NEW   ENGLAND 


■WHICH   ARE 


INJURIOUS   TO   VEGETATION. 


Bt    THADDEUS     WILLIAM    HARRIS,    M.  D, 


SECOND    EDITION. 


BOSTON: 
PRINTED    BY    WHITE    &    POTTER. 

1852. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1852,  by 

THADDEUS  WILLIAM  HARRIS, 

In  tlie  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


PREFACE. 


The  first  edition  of  this  work  was  printed  in  the  year  1841.  It  formed 
one  of  the  scientific  Reports,  which  were  prepared  and  published  by 
the  Commissioners  on  the  Zoological  and  Botanical  Survey  of  Massa- 
chusetts, agreeably  to  an  order  of  the  General  Court,  and  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  State.  The  Commission  for  this  Survey  bore  the  date 
of  June  10th,  1837 ;  and  the  following  instructions  from  his  Excel- 
lency, Governor  Everett,  accompanied  it : 

"  It  is  presumed  to  have  been  a  leading  object  of  the  Legislature, 
in  authorizing  this  Survey,  to  promote  the  agricultural  benefit  of  the 
Commonwealth,  and  you  will  keep  carefully  in  view  the  economical 
relations  of  every  subject  of  your  enquiry.  By  this,  however,  it  is 
not  intended  that  scientific  order,  method,  or  comprehension,  should 
be  departed  from.  At  the  same  time,  that  which  is  practically  use- 
ful will  receive  a  proportionally  greater  share  of  attention,  than  that 
which  is  merely  curious ;  the  promotion  of  comfort  and  happiness 
being  the  great  human  end  of  all  science." 

Upon  a  division  of  duties  among  the  Commissioners,  the  depart- 
ment of  Insects  was  assigned  to  me.  Some  idea  of  the  extent  of 
this  department  may  be  formed  by  an  examination  of  my  Catalogues 
of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts,  appended  to  the  first  and  second 
editions  of  Professor  Hitchcock's  Report,  in  which  above  2300  spe- 
cies were  enumerated ;  and  these  doubtless  fall  very  far  short  of 
the  actual  number  to  be  found  within  this  Commonwealth.  In  en- 
tering upon  my  duty,  I  was  deterred  from  attempting  to  describe  all 
these  insects  by  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking,  and  by  the  con- 
sideration that  such  a  work,  much  as  it  might  promote  the  cause  of 
science,  if  well  done,  could  not  be  expected  to  prove  either  inter- 
esting or  particularly  useful  to  the  great  body  of  the  people.      The 


\\o^ 


Yi  PREFACE. 

subject  and  the  plan  of  my  Report  were  suggested  by  the  instruc- 
lions  of  the  Governor,  and  by  the  want  of  a  work,  combining  sci- 
entific and  practical  details  on  the  natural  history  of  our  noxious 
insects.  From  among  such  of  the  latter  as  are  injurious  to  plants, 
1  selected  for  description  chiefly  those  that  were  remarkable  for  their 
size,  for  the  peculiarity  of  their  structure  and  habits,  or  for  the  ex- 
tent of  their  ravages ;  and  these,  alone,  will  be  seen  to  constitute  a 
formidable  host.  As  they  are  found  not  only  in  Massachusetts,  but 
throughout  New  England,  and  indeed  in  most  parts  of  the  United 
States,  the  propriety  of  giving  to  the  work  a  more  comprehensive 
title  than  it  first  bore,  becomes  apparent.  This  was  accordingly 
done  in  the  small  impression,  that  was  printed  at  my  own  charge, 
while  the  original  Report  was  passing  through  the  press,  and  in 
which  some  other  alterations  were  made  to  (ii  it  for  a  wider  circu- 
lation. 

In  the  course  of  eight  years,  all  the  copies  of  the  Report,  and 
of  the  other  impression,  were  entirely  disposed  of.  Meanwhile, 
some  materials  for  a  new  edition  were  collected,  and  these  have 
been  embodied  in  the  present  work,  which  I  have  been  called  upon 
to  prepare  and  carry  through  the  press. 

Believing  that  the  aid  of  science  tends  greatly  to  improve  the 
condition  of  any  people  engaged  in  agriculture  and  horticulture,  and 
that  these  pursuits  form  the  basis  of  our  prosperity,  and  are  the 
safeguards  of  our  liberty  and  independence,  I  have  felt  it  to  be  my 
duty,  in  treating  the  subject  assigned  to  me,  to  endeavor  to  make  it 
useful  and  acceptable  to  those  persons  whose  honorable  employment 
is  the  cultivation  of  the  soil. 

T.  W.  H. 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  Oct.  15,  1852. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  word  Insect  defined,  —  Brain  and  Nerves,  —  Air-pipes  and  Breathing- 
holes, —  Heart  and  Blood,  3.  —  Insects  are  produced  from  Eggs,  3.  —  Meta- 
morphoses,—  Examples  of  Complete  Transformation,  4.  —  Partial  Transfor- 
mation, 5.  —  Larva  or  Infant  State,  Pupa  or  Intermediate  State,  Adult  or 
Winged  State,  6.  —  Head,  Eyes,  Antennng,  and  Mouth,  7.  —  Thorax  or 
Chest,  Wings,  and  Logs,  —  Abdomen  or  Hind  body,  8.  —  Piercer  and  Sting, 
8.  —  Number  of  Insects  compared  with  that  of  plants.  —  Classification,  Or- 
ders, —  Coleoptera,  9.  —  Orthoptera,  Hemiptera,  10.  —  Neuroptera,  Lepido- 
ptera,  Hymenoptera,  11.  —  Diptera,  13.  —  Other  Orders  and  Groups,  15. — 
Remarks  on  Scientific  Names,  17. 

COLEOPTERA. 

Beetles,  —  Scarabseians,  20.  —  Ground-Beetles,  Tree-Beetles,  21.  —  Cockcha- 
fers or  May-Beetles,  22.  —  Flower-Beetles,  34.  —  Stag-Beetles,  37.  — Bu- 
prestians,  or  Saw-homed  Borers,  39.  —  Spring-Beetles,  45.  —  Timber-Beetles, 
50.  —  Weevils,  52.  —  Cylindrical  Bark-Beetles,  74.  —  Capricorn-Beetles,  or 
Long-horned  Borers,  82.  —  Leaf-Beetles,  103.  —  Criocerians,  104.  —  Leaf- 
mining  Beetles,  105.  —  Tortoise-Beetles,  107.  —  Chrysomelians,  108.  —  Can- 
tharides,  119. 

ORTHOPTERA. 

Structure  and  Transformations,  125.  —  Earwigs,  127.  —  Cockroaches,  128.  — 
Mantes,  or  Soothsayers,  129.  —  Walking  Leaves,  Spectres,  —  Crickets,  129. 
—  Mole-Cricket,  131.  —  Field-Crickets,  132.  —  Climbing-Crickets,  134.  — 
Grasshoppers,  136.  —  Wingless  Cricket,  136. — Katy-did,  138. — Locusts, 
or  Flying  Grasshoppers,  143. 

HEMIPTERA. 

Bugs,  167.  —  Squash-Bug,  169.  —  Chinch-Bug,  172.  —  Plant-Bugs,  173.— 
Harvest-Flies,  177.  —  Cicadas,  178.  —  Tree-Hoppers,  191.  —  Leaf- Hoppers, 
196.  — Vine-Hopper,  197.  —  Rose-Hopper,  199.  — Bean- Hopper,  200.— 
Aphidians,  201.  — Psylla,  201.  — Thrips,  204.  — Plant-Lice,  205.  — Ameri- 
can Blight,  211.  — Enemies  of  Plant-Lice,  214.  —  Bark-Lice,  217. 


viii  CONTENTS. 

LEPIDOPTERA. 

Caterpillars,  1K5.  — Butterflies,  229.  —  Skippers,  2 12.  —  Ilawk-Moths,  245.— 
Nigerians,  or  Boring  Caterpillars,  251.  — Glaucopidians,  257.  —  Moths,  259. 
—  Spinners,  Lithosians,  2(31.  — Tiger-Moths  and  Ermine-Motlis,  2G3.— 
Tussock-Motiis,  281.  —  Lackey-Moths,  28(5.  — Lappet-Moths,  292.  — Satur- 
nians,  295.  —  Ceratocampians,  30G.  —  Carpcnter-Motlis,  31lj.  —  Psychians, 
318.  — Notodontiaiis,  321.  — Owl-Moths,  33.").  —  Spindle- Worms,  339.— 
Cut-Worms,  341.  — Wheat-Worm  or  Wheat-Caterpillar,  352.  —  Geometers 
or  Span- Worms,  35G.  — Canker- Worms,  359.  —  Delta-Motiis,  371.  — Leaf- 
Rollers,  374.  —  Bud-Moths,  376.  —  Fruit-Moths,  379.  —  Tinese,  382.  —  Bee- 
Moths,  384.  — Clothes-Moths,  387.  —  Grain-Moths,  390.  —  Feather-winged 
Moths,  403. 

HYMENOPTERA. 

Stingers  and  Piercers,  404.  —  Habits  of  some  of  the  Hymenopterous  Insects, 
405.  —  Saw-Flies,  407.  — False  Caterpillars  and  Slugs,  408.  — Elm  Saw- 
Fly,  409.  — Fir  Saw-Fly,  411.  — Vine  Saw-Fly,  413.  — Rose-bush  Slug, 
415.  — Pear-tree  Slug,  418.  — Horn-tailed  Wood- Wasps,  422.  — Four- 
winged  Gall-Flies,  431.  —  Chalcidians,  430.  —  Barley  Insect,  437.  —  Joint- 
Worm,  441. 

DIPTERA. 

Gnats  and  Flies,  447.  —  Maggots,  and  their  Transformations,  448.  —  Gall- 
Gnats,  450.  — Hessian  Fly,  452.  —  Wheat-Fly,  470.  —  Club-footed  Gnat, 
481.  — Snow-Gnat,  482.  — Black  Fly,  Midges,  482.  —  Horse-Flies,  483.— 
Bee-Flies,  484.  —  Asilians,  48.5.  —  Soldier-Flies,  487.  —  Syrphians,  488.— 
Conopians,  489.  —  Parasitical  Flies,  490.  —  Viviparous  Flesh-Flies,  491. — 
Piercing  Stable-Flies,  491.  —  Meat-Flies  and  IIouse-Flies,  492.  —  Flower- 
Flies,  493.  —  Dung-Flies,  495.  — Two-winged  Gall-Flies,  and  Fruit-Fliep, 
497.  —  Oscinians,  498.  —  Bot-FIies,  49S).  —  Bird-Flies  and  Spider-Flies,  .501 . 
-Flea,  501. 

INDEX, 503 


CORRECTION  S  . 

Page   47,  line   3,  for  states  read  state. 
"       54,    "    28,  for  Gleditsia  read  Gleditschia. 

*'  119,    "     19,  for  Cri/torrphalus  rca.d  Cri/ptocep/ialus. 

"  145,  note,  for  Revelations  read  llevelation. 

"  169,  line  31,  insert  aj)eriod  after  b\ig. 

"  192,    "     38,  yb;- grouud  rcrti/ ground. 

"  233,   "     12,  for  scolloped  read  scalloped. 

"  235,"    29, /or  Abbott's  J-TOrf  Abbot's. 

"  261,   "    32,  for  Glatcrosis  read  Glmicopis. 

"  266,    "      5,  for  flesh  white  read  fiesh-white. 

"  311,   "      4,  for  boforc  read  before. 

"  359,   "    25, /or  ege  rearf  edge. 

"  384,   "    11, /or  dilFers  rear/ differ. 

'•  394,  "     12, /or  bearded  rcrtrf  beaded. 


INSECTS 


INJURIOUS    TO    VEGETATION, 


INTRODUCTION. 

Insect  defined. — Brain  and  Nerves.  —  Air-pipes  and  Breathing-holes. — 
Heart  and  Blood.  —  Insects  are  produced  prom  Eggs.  —  Metamorphoses, 
OR  Transformations.  —  Examples  of  Complete  Transformation.  —  Partial 
Transformation.  —  Larva,  or  Infant  State.  —  Pupa,  or  Intermediate 
State.  —  Aditlt,  or  "Winged  State.  —  Head,  Eyes,  Antenna,  and  Mouth. 
—  Thorax  or  Chest,  Wings,  and  Legs.  —  Abdomen  or  Hind-rodt,  Piercer, 
AND  Sting.  —  Number  of  Insects  compared  with  Plants.  —  Classification. 
Orders.  Coleoptera.  Orthoptera.  Hemiptera.  Neuroptera.  Lepido- 
PTERA.  Hymenoptera.  Diptera.  Other  Orders  and  Groups.  —  Remarks 
on  Scientific  Names. 

The  benefits  which  we  derive  from  insects,  though  neither  few 
in  number  nor  inconsiderable  in  amount,  are,  if  we  except 
those  of  tlie  silk-worm,  the  bee,  and  the  cochenille,  not  very 
obvious,  and  are  almost  entirely  beyond  our  influence.  On  the 
contrary,  the  injuries  that  we  suffer  from  them  are  becoming 
yearly  more  apparent,  and  are  more  or  less  within  our  control. 
A  familiar  acquaintance  with  our  insect  enemies  and  friends, 
in  aU  their  forms  and  disguises,  will  afford  us  much  help  in  the 
discovery  and  proper  application  of  the  remedies  for  the  depre- 
dations of  the  former,  and  will  tend  to  remove  the  repugnance 
wherewith  the  latter  are  commonly  regarded. 

Destructive  insects  have  their  appointed  tasks,  and  are  lim- 
ited in  the  performance  of  them;  they  are  exposed  to  many 
accidents  through  the  influence  of  the  elements,  and  they  fall 
a  prey  to  numerous  animals,  many  of  them  also  of  the  insect 
race,  which,  while  they  fulfil  their  own  part  in  the  economy  of 
1 

fwnsm  imA::Y 
N.  C  Stmte  Colkgg 


2  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

nature,  contribute  to  prevent  the  undue  increase  of  the  noxious 
tribes.  Too  often,  by  an  unwise  interference  with  the  plan  of 
Providence,  we  defeat  the  very  measures  contrived  for  our 
protection.  We  not  only  sufter  from  our  own  carelessness, 
but  throu<^h  ignorance  fall  into  many  mistakes.  Civilization 
and  cultivation,  in  many  cases,  have  destroyed  the  balance 
originally  existing  between  plants  and  insects,  and  between 
the  latter  and  other  animals.  Deprived  of  their  natural  food 
by  tlie  removal  of  the  forest-trees  and  shrubs,  and  the  other 
indigenous  plants  that  once  covered  the  soil,  insects  have  now 
no  other  resource  than  the  cultivated  plants  that  have  taken 
the  place  of  the  original  vegetation.  The  destruction  of  insect- 
eating  animals,  whether  quadrupeds,  birdsj  or  reptiles,  has 
doubtless  tended  greatly  to  the  increase  of  insects.  Coloniza- 
tion and  commerce  have,  to  some  extent,  introduced  foreign 
insects  into  countries  where  they  were  before  unknown.  It  is 
to  such  causes  as  these,  that  we  are  to  attribute  the  unwelcome 
appearance  and  the  undue  multiplication  of  many  insects  in 
our  cultivated  grounds,  and  even  in  our  store-houses  and 
dwellings.  We  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  any  absolutely 
new  insects  are  generated  or  created  from  time  to  time.  The 
supposed  new  species,  made  known  to  us  first  by  their  un- 
wonted depredations,  may  have  come  to  us  from  other  parts, 
or  may  have  been  driven  by  the  hand  of  improvement  from 
their  native  haunts,  where  heretofore  the  race  had  lived  in 
obscurity,  and  thus  had  escaped  the  notice  of  man. 

To  understand  the  relations  that  insects  bear  to  each  other 
and  to  other  objects,  and  to  learn  how  best  to  check  the  ravages 
of  the  noxious  tribes,  we  must  make  ourselves  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  natural  history  of  these  animals.  This 
subject  is  particularly  important  to  all  persons  who  are  inter- 
ested in  agricultm-al  pursuits.  For  their  use,  chiefly,  this 
account  of  the  principal  insects  that  are  injurious  to  vegetation 
in  New  England,  has  been  prepared.  It  has  been  thought  best 
to  prefix  thereto  some  remarks  on  the  structure  and  classifica- 
tion of  insects,  to  serve  as  an  introduction  to  the  succeeding 
chapters,  and,  in  some  measure,  to  supply  the  want  of  a  more 
general  and  complete  work  on  this  branch  of  natural  history. 


INTRODUCTION.  3 

The  word  Insect,  which,  in  the  Latin  language,  from  whence 
it  was  derived,  means  cut  into  or  notched,  was  designed  to 
express  one  of  the  chief  characters  of  this  group  of  animals, 
whose  body  is  marked  by  several  cross-lines  or  incisions.  The 
parts  between  these  cross-lines  are  called  segments,  or  rings, 
and  consist  of  a  number  of  jointed  pieces,  more  or  less  movable 
on  each  other. 

Insects  have  a  very  small  brain,  and,  instead  of  a  spinal 
marrow,  a  kind  of  knotted  cord,  extending  from  the  brain  to 
the  hinder  extremity ;  and  numerous  small  whitish  threads, 
which  are  the  nerves,  spread  from  the  brain  and  knots,  in 
various  directions.  Two  long  air-pipes,  within  their  bodies, 
together  with  an  immense  number  of  smaller  pipes,  supply  the 
want  of  lungs,  and  carry  the  air  to  every  part.  Insects  do  not 
breathe  through  their  mouths,  but  through  little  holes,  called 
spiracles,  generally  nine  in  number,  along  each  side  of  the 
body.  Some,  however,  have  the  breathing-holes  placed  in  the 
hinder  extremity,  and  a  few  young  water-insects  breathe  by 
means  of  gills.  The  heart  is  a  long  tube,  lying  under  the  skin 
of  the  back,  having  little  holes  on  each  side  for  the  admission 
of  the  juices  of  the  body,  which  are  prevented  from  escaping 
again  by  valves  or  clappers,  formed  to  close  the  holes  within. 
Moreover,  this  tubular  heart  is  divided  into  several  chambers, 
by  transverse  partitions,  in  each  of  which  there  is  a  hole  shut 
by  a  valve,  which  allows  the  blood  to  flow  only  from  the  hinder 
to  the  fore  part  of  the  heart,  and  prevents  it  from  passing  in 
the  contrary  direction.  The  blood,  which  is  a  colorless  or  yel- 
lowish fluid,  does  not  circulate  in  proper  arteries  and  veins  ; 
but  is  driven  from  the  fore  part  of  the  heart  into  the  head,  and 
thence  escapes  into  the  body,  where  it  is  mingled  with  the 
nutritive  juices  that  filter  through  the  sides  of  the  intestines, 
and  the  mingled  fluid  penetrates  the  crevices  among  the  flesh 
and  other  internal  parts,  flowing  along  the  sides  of  the  air- 
pipes,  whereby  it  receives  from  the  air  that  influence  which 
renders  it  fitted  to  nourish  the  frame  and  maintain  life. 

Insects  are  never  spontaneously  generated  from  puti'id  animal 
or  vegetable  matter,  but  are  produced  from  eggs.  A  few,  such 
as  some  plant-lice,  do  not  lay  their  eggs,  but  retain  them  within 


4  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

their  bodies  till  the  young  are  ready  to  escape.  Others  inva- 
riably lay  their  eggs  where  their  young,  as  soon  as  they  are 
hatched,  will  find  a  plentiful  supply  of  food  immediately  within 
their  reach. 

Most  insects,  in  the  course  of  their  lives,  are  subject  to  very 
great  changes  of  form,  attended  by  equally  remarkable  changes 
in  their  habits  and  propensities.  These  changes,  transforma- 
tions, or  metamorphoses,  as  they  are  called,  might  cause  the 
same  insect,  at  different  ages,  to  be  mistaken  for  as  many 
different  animals.  For  example,  a  caterpillar,  after  feeding 
upon  leaves  till  it  is  fully  grown,  retires  into  some  place  of 
concealment,  casts  off  its  caterpillar-skin,  and  presents  itself  in 
an  entirely  dilierent  form,  one  wherein  it  has  neither  the  power 
of  moving  about,  nor  of  taking  food ;  in  fact,  in  this  its  second 
or  chrysalis  state,  the  insect  seems  to  be  a  lifeless  oblong  oval 
or  conical  body,  without  a  distinct  head,  or  movable  limbs ; 
after  resting  awhile,  an  inward  struggle  begins,  the  chrysalis- 
skin  bursts  open,  and  from  the  rent  issues  a  butterfly,  or  a  moth, 
whose  small  and  flabby  wings  soon  extend  and  harden,  and 
become  fitted  to  bear  away  the  insect  in  search  of  the  honeyed 
juice  of  flowers  and  other  liquids  that  suffice  for  its  nourishment. 

The  little  fish-like  animals  that  swim  about  in  vessels  of 
stagnant  water,  and  devour  the  living  atoms  that  swarm  in  the 
same  situations,  soon  come  to  maturity,  cast  their  skins,  and 
take  another  form,  wherein  they  remain  rolled  up  like  a  ball, 
and  either  float  at  the  surface  of  the  water,  for  the  purpose  of 
breathing  through  the  two  tunnel-shaped  tubes  on  the  top  of 
their  backs,  or,  if  disturbed,  suddenly  uncurl  their  bodies,  and 
whirl  over  and  over  from  one  side  of  the  vessel  to  the  other. 
In  the  course  of  a  few  days  these  little  water-tumblers  are 
ready  for  another  transformation ;  the  skin  splits  on  the  back 
between  the  breathing-ttibes,  the  head,  body,  and  limbs  of  a 
mosquito  suddenly  burst  from  the  opening,  the  slender  legs 
rest  on  the  empty  skin  till  the  latter  fills  with  water  and  sinks, 
when  the  insect  abandons  its  native  element,  spreads  its  tiny 
wings,  and  flies  away,  piping  its  war-note,  and  thirsting  for 
the  blood  which  its  natural  weapons  enable  it  to  draw  from  its 
unlucky  victims. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

The  full-fed  maggot,  that  has  rioted  in  filth  till  its  tender 
skin  seems  ready  to  burst  with  repletion,  when  the  appointed 
time  arrives,  leaves  the  offensive  matters  it  was  ordained  to 
assist  in  removing,  and  gets  into  some  convenient  hole  or 
crevice ;  then  its  body  contracts  or  shortens,  and  becomes  egg- 
shaped,  while  the  skin  hardens,  and  turns  brown  and  dry,  so 
that,  under  this  form,  the  creature  appears  more  like  a  seed 
than  a  living  animal ;  after  some  time  passed  in  this  inactive 
and  equivocal  form,  during  which  wonderful  changes  have 
taken  place  within  the  seed-like  shell,  one  end  of  the  shell  is 
forced  off,  and  from  the  inside  comes  forth  a  buzzing  fly,  that 
drops  its  former  filthy  habits  wath  its  cast-off  dress,  and  now, 
with  a  more  refined  taste,  seeks  only  to  lap  the  solid  viands  of 
our  tables,  or  sip  the  liquid  contents  of  our  cups. 

Caterpillars,  grubs,  and  maggots  undergo  a  complete  trans- 
formation in  coming  to  maturity ;  but  there  are  other  insects, 
such  as  crickets,  grasshoppers,  bugs,  and  plant-lice,  which, 
though  differing  a  good  deal  in  the  young  and  adult  states,  are 
not  subject  to  so  great  a  change,  their  transformations  being 
only  partial.  For  instance,  the  young  grasshopper  comes  from 
the  egg  a  \vingless  insect,  and  consequently  unable  to  move 
from  place  to  place  in  any  other  way  than  by  the  use  of  its 
legs ;  as  it  grows  larger  it  is  soon  obliged  to  cast  ofi"  its  skin, 
and,  after  one  or  two  moultings,  its  body  not  only  increases  in 
size,  but  becomes  proportionally  longer  than  before,  while  little 
stump-like  wings  begin  to  make  their  appearance  on  the  top  of 
the  back.  After  this,  the  grasshopper  continues  to  eat  vora- 
ciously, grows  larger  and  larger,  and  hops  about  without  any 
aid  from  its  short  and  motionless  wings,  repeatedly  casts  off  its 
outgrown  skin,  appearing  each  time  with  still  longer  wings, 
and  more  perfectly  formed  limbs,  till  at  length  it  ceases  to  grow, 
and,  shedding  its  skin  for  the  last  time,  it  comes  forth  a  perfectly 
formed  and  mature  grasshopper,  with  the  power  of  spreading 
its  ample  wungs,  and  of  using  them  in  flight. 

Hence  there  are  three  periods  in  the  life  of  an  insect,  more 
or  less  distinctly  marked  by  corresponding  changes  in  the  form, 
powers,  and  habits.  In  the  first,  or  period  of  infancy,  an  insect 
is  technically  called  a  larva,  a  word  signifying  a  mask,  because 


6  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

therein  its   future  form  is  more  or  less  masked  or  concealed. 
This   name   is  not   only   applied   to   grubs,  caterpillars,   and 
maggots,  and  to  other  insects  that  undergo  a  complete  trans- 
formation, but  also  to  young  and  wingless  grasshoppers,  and 
bugs,  and  indeed  to  all  young  insects  before  the  wings  begin 
to  appear.     In  this  first  period,  which  is  generally  much  the 
longest,  insects  are  always  wingless,  pass  most  of  their  time  in 
eating,  grow  rapidly,  and  usually  cast  off  then-  skins  repeatedly. 
The  second  period,  wherein  those  insects  that  undergo  a  partial 
transformation,  retain  their  activity  and  their  appetites  for  food, 
continue  to  grow,  and  acquire  the  rudiments  of  wings,  while 
others,  at  this  age,  entirely  lose  their  larva  form,  take  no  food, 
and  remain   at  rest  in  a  deathlike  sleep,  —  is  called  ihe  pupa 
state,  from  a  slight  resemblance  that  some  of  the  latter  present 
to  an  infant  trussed  in  bandages,  as  was  the  fashion  among 
the  Romans.     The  pupa?  from  caterpillars,  however,  are  more 
commonly  called  chrysalids,  because  some  of  them,  as  the  name 
implies,  are  gilt  or  adorned  with  golden  spots ;  and  grubs,  after 
their  first  transformation,  are  often  named  nymphs,  for  what 
reason  does   not  appear.      At  the   end  of  the  second  period, 
insects  again  shed  their  skins,  and  come  forth  fully  grown,  and 
(with  few  exceptions)  provided  with  wings.     They  thus  enter 
upon  their  last  or  adult  state,  wherein  they  no  longer  increase 
in   size,  and  during  which  they  provide  for  a  continuation  of 
then  kind.     This  period  usually  lasts  only  a  short  time,  for 
most  insects  die  immediately  after  their  eggs  are  laid.     Bees, 
wasps,   and  ants,   however,  which  live   in    society,  and  labor 
together  for  the  common  good  of  their  communities,  continue 
much  longer  in  the  adult  state. 

In  winged  or  adult  insects,  two  of  the  transverse  incisions, 
with  which  they  are  marked,  are  deeper  than  the  rest,  so  that 
the  body  seems  to  consist  of  three  principal  portions,  the  first 
whereof  is  the  head,  the  second  or  middle  portion  the  thorax, 
or  chest,  and  the  third  or  hindmost  the  abdomen,  or  hind-body. 
In  some  wingless  insects  these  three  portions  are  also  to  be 
seen ;  but  in  most  young  insects,  or  larvae,  the  body  consists  of 
the  head,  and  a  series  of  twelve  rings  or  segments,  the  thorax 
not  being  distinctly  separated  from  the  hinder  part  of  the  body, 
as  may  be  perceived  in  caterpillars,  grubs,  and  maggots. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

The  eyes  of  adult  insects,  though  apparently  two  in  number, 
are  compound,  each  consisting  of  a  great  number  of  single  eyes 
closely  united  together,  and  incapable  of  being  rolled  in  their 
sockets.  Such  also  are  the  eyes  of  the  larvte,  and  of  the  active 
pupae  of  those  insects  that  undergo  an  imperfect  transformation. 
Moreover,  many  winged  insects  have  one,  two,  or  three  little 
single  eyes,  placed  near  each  other  on  the  crown  of  the  head, 
and  called  ocelli,  or  eyelets.  The  eyes  of  grubs,  caterpillars, 
and  of  other  completely  transforming  larvee,  are  not  compound, 
but  consist  of  five  or  six  eyelets  clustered  together,  without 
touching,  on  each  side  of  the  head;  some,  however,  such  as 
maggots,  are  totally  blind.  Near  to  the  eyes  are  two  jointed 
members,  named  antenna;,  corresponding,  for  the  most  part,  in 
situation,  with  the  ears  of  other  animals,  and  supposed  to  be 
connected  with  the  sense  of  hearing,  of  touch,  or  of  both  united. 
The  antennae  are  very  short  in  larvae,  and  of  various  sizes  and 
forms  in  other  insects. 

The  mouth  of  some  insects  is  made  for  biting  or  chewing, 
that  of  others  for  taking  food  only  by  suction.  The  biting- 
insects  have  the  parts  of  the  mouth  variously  modified  to  suit 
the  nature  of  the  food ;  and  these  parts  are,  an  upper  and  an 
under  lip,  two  nippers  or  jaws  on  each  side,  moving  sidewise, 
and  not  up  and  down,  and  four  or  six  little  jointed  members, 
called  palpi  or  feelers,  whereof  two  belong  to  the  lower  lip,  and 
one  or  tAvo  to  each  of  the  lower  jaws.  The  mouth  of  sucking- 
insects  consists  essentially  of  these  same  parts,  but  so  different 
in  their  shape  and  in  the  purposes  for  which  they  are  designed, 
that  the  resemblance  betw^een  them  and  those  of  biting-insects 
is  not  easily  recognized.  Thus  the  jaws  of  caterpillars  are 
transformed  to  a  spiral  sucking-tube  in  butterflies  and  moths, 
and  those  of  maggots  to  a  hard  proboscis,  fitted  for  piercing,  as 
in  the  mosquito  and  horse-fly,  or  to  one  of  softer  consistence, 
and  ending  with  fleshy  lips  for  lapping,  as  in  common  flies ; 
while  in  bugs,  plant-lice,  and  some  other  insects  resembling 
them,  the  parts  of  the  mouth  undergo  no  essential  change  from 
infancy  to  the  adult  state,  but  are  formed  into  a  long,  hard, 
and  jointed  beak,  bent  under  the  breast  when  not  in  use,  and 
designed  only  for  making  punctures  and  drawing  in  liquid 
nourishment. 


8  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  parts  belonging  to  the  thorax  are  the  wings  and  the 
legs.  The  former  are  two  or  foin-  in  number,  and  vary  greatly 
in  form  and  consistence,  in  the  situation  of  the  wing-bones  or 
veins,  as  Ihoy  are  generally  called,  and  in  their  position  or  the 
manner  in  which  they  are  closed  or  folded  when  at  rest.  The 
under-side  of  the  thorax  is  the  breast,  and  to  this  are  fixed  the 
leo-s,  which  are  six  in  number  in  adult  insects,  and  in  the  larvae 
and  pui)ir  of  those  that  are  subject  only  to  a  partial  transfor- 
mation. The  parts  of  the  legs  are  the  hip-joint,  by  which  the 
leg  is  fastened  to  the  body,  the  thigh,  the  shank  (tibia),  and  the 
foot,  the  latter  consisting  sometimes  of  one  joint  only,  more 
often  of  two,  three,  four,  or  five  pieces  (tarsi),  connected  end  to 
end,  like  the  joints  of  the  finger,  and  armed  at  the  extremity 
with  one  or  two  claws.  Of  the  larvae  that  undergo  a  complete 
transformation,  maggots  and  some  others  are  destitute  of  legs ; 
many  grubs  have  six,  namely,  a  pair  beneath  the  under-side  of 
the  first  three  segments,  and  sometimes  an  additional  fleshy 
prop-leg  under  the  hindmost  extremity ;  caterpillars  and  false 
caterpillars  have,  besides  the  six  true  legs  attached  to  the  first 
three  rings,  several  fleshy  prop-hke  legs,  amounting  sometimes 
to  ten  or  sixteen  in  number,  placed  in  pairs  beneath  the  other 
segments. 

The  abdomen,  or  hindmost,  and,  as  to  size,  the  principal  part 
of  the  body,  contains  the  organs  of  digestion,  and  other  internal 
parts,  and  to  it  also  belong  the  piercer  and  the  sting  with  which 
many  winged  or  adult  insects  are  provided.  The  piercer  is 
sometimes  only  a  flexible  or  a  jointed  tube,  capable  of  being 
thrust  out  of  the  end  of  the  body,  and  is  used  for  conducting 
the  eggs  into  the  crevices  or  holes  where  they  are  to  be  laid. 
In  some  other  insects  it  consists  of  a  kind  of  scabbard,  con- 
taining a  central  borer,  or  instruments  like  saws,  designed  for 
making  hok>s  wherein  the  eggs  are  to  be  inserted.  The  sting, 
in  like  manner,  consists  of  a  sheath  enclosing  a  sharp  instrument 
for  inflicting  wounds,  connected  wherewith  in  the  inside  of  the 
body  is  a  bag  of  venom  or  poison.  The  parts  belonging  to  the 
abdomen  of  larvaj  are  various,  but  are  mostly  designed  to  aid 
them  in  their  motions,  or  to  provide  for  their  respiration. 

An  English  entomologist  has  stated,  that,  on  an  average, 
there  are  six  distinct  insects  to  one  plant.     This  proportion  is 


INTRODUCTIOX.  9 

probably  too  great  for  our  country,  where  vast  tracts  are  covered 
with  forests,  and  the  other  original  vegetable  races  still  hold 
possession  of  the  soil.  There  are  above  1200  flowering  plants 
in  Massachusetts,  and  it  will  be  within  bounds  to  estimate  the 
species  of  insects  at  4800,  or  in  the  proportion  of  four  to  one 
plant.  To  facilitate  the  study  of  such  an  immense  number, 
some  kind  of  classification  is  necessary ;  it  will  be  useful  to 
adopt  one,  even  in  describing  the  few  species  now  before  us. 
The  basis  of  this  classification  is  founded  upon  the  structure 
of  the  mouth,  in  the  adult  state,  the  number  and  nature  of  the 
wings,  and  the  transformations.  The  first  great  divisions  are 
called  orders,  of  which  the  following  seven  are  very  generally 
adopted  by  naturalists. 

1. —  CoLEOPTERA  [Beetlcs).  Insects  with  jaws,  two  thick 
wing-covers  meeting  in  a  straight  line  on  the  top  of  the  back, 
and  two  filmy  wings,  which  are  folded  transversely.  Trans- 
formation complete.  Larvae,  called  grubs,  generally  provided 
with  sLx  true  legs,  and  sometimes  also  with  a  terminal  prop-leg ; 
more  rarely  without  legs.  Pupa  with  the  wings  and  the  legs 
distinct  and  unconfined. 

Many  of  these  insects,  particularly  in  the  larva  state,  are  very  injuri- 
ous to  vegetation.  The  tiger-beetles  (CicinddadcB*),  the  predaceous 
ground-beetles  (Carabidce),  the  diving-beetles  {Di/tiscidcc),  the  lady-birds 
(CoccinelJadcB),  and  some  others,  are  eminently  serviceable  by  preying 
upon  caterpillars,  plant-lice,  and  other  noxious  or  destructive  insects. 
The  water-lovers  (Hydi~ophilidcB),  rove-heetles  (SlaphylinidcB),  carrion- 
beetles  ( Silphadcr) ,  sk\n-hce{\es  (Dermcstadcp,  Byrrhido'^  and  Trogidce), 
bone-beetles  (some  of  the  Nitiduladcs  and  Clcridce)^  and  various  kinds 
of  dung-beetles  (SphcBridiadcB,  Histeridce,  Geotrupidcsf,  Coprididcrf, 
and  Aphodiadcei)^  and  clocks  {Piineliadcn  and  Blnptida),  act  the  useful 
part  of  scavengers,  by  removing  carrion,  dung,  and  other  filth,  upon 
which  alone  they  and  their  larvce  subsist.  Many  Coleoptera  (some 
Staphylinid(2  and  NiiiduJadce,  Diaperididce,  some  Serropcilpidcs,  Myce- 

*  See  the  Catalogue  of  Insects  appended  to  Professor  Hitchcock's  Report  on 
the  Geolog)"-,  Mmeralog}^  Eotany,  and  Zoology  of  Massachusetts.  2d  edit.  8vo, 
Amherst.     1835. 

t  All  the  Scarabgeldce  of  my  Catalogue,  from  Ateuchus  to  Geotrupes  inclusive, 
to  which  may  be  added  many  included  in  the  genus  Scarabceus. 

2 


10  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

tophcigidce,  Erotylidce,  and  Endomychida)  live  altogether  on  agarics, 
mushrooms,  and  toadstools,  plants  of  very  little  use  to  man,  many  of 
them  poisonous,  and  in  a  state  of  decay  often  offensive;  these  fungus- 
eaters  are  therefore  to  be  reckoned  among  our  friends.  There  are 
others,  such  as  the  stag-beetles  (Lucanidcr),  some  spring-beetles 
(Elaleridce),  darkling-beetles  (Tenebrionidcc),  and  many  bark-beetles 
{Helopida:,  CisteladcB,  SerropalpidcB,  (Edemeradcr,  Cucujadce,  and  some 
Trogositadce),  which,  living  under  the  bark  and  in  the  trunks  and  roots 
of  old  trees,  though  they  may  occasionally  prove  injurious,  must,  on  the 
whole,  be  considered  as  serviceable,  by  contributing  to  destroy,  and 
reduce  to  dust,  plants  that  have  passed  their  prime  and  are  fast  going 
to  decay.  And,  lastly,  the  blistering-beetles  (Cantharididce)  have,  for 
a  long  time,  been  employed  with  great  benefit  in  the  healing  art. 

2. —  Ortiioptera  (Cockroaches,  Crickets,  Grasshoppers,  Sfc). 
Insects  with  jaws,  two  rather  thick  and  opake  upper  wings, 
overlapping  a  little  on  the  back,  and  two  larger,  thin  wings, 
whicli  are  folded  in  plaits,  like  a  fan.  Transformation  partial. 
Larvae  and  pupse  active,  but  wanting  wings. 

All  of  the  insects  of  this  order,  except  the  camel-crickets  [MantidcB), 
which  prey  on  other  insects,  are  injurious  to  our  household  possessions, 
or  destructive  to  vegetation. 

3. —  Hk.miptera  (Bug-s,  Locusts,  Plant-lice,  Sfc).  Insects 
with  a  horny  beak  for  suction,  four  wings,  whereof  the  upper- 
most are  generally  thick  at  the  base,  with  thinner  extremities, 
which  lie  flat,  and  cross  each  other  on  the  top  of  the  back,  or 
are  of  uniform  thickness  throughout,  and  slope  at  the  sides 
like  a  roof.  Transformation  partial.  Larvae  and  pupae  nearly 
like  the  adult  insect,  but  wanting  wings. 

The  various  kinds  of  field  and  house  bugs  give  out  a  strong  and  disa- 
greeable smell.  Many  of  tlicm  (some  Pentalomadcc  and  Lygceidcc, 
Cimicidce,  Reduviadcp,  Hydrometradcc,  Nepadcr,  and  NotonecfadcP,) 
live  entirely  on  the  juices  of  animals,  and  by  this  means  destroy  great 
numbers  of  noxious  insects  ;  some  are  of  much  service  in  the  arts, 
affording  us  the  costly  cochineal,  scarlet  grain,  lac,  and  manna  ;  but 
the  benefits  derived  from  these  are  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the 
injuries  committed  by  the  domestic  kinds,  and  by  the  numerous  tribes 
of  plant-bugs,   locusts  or   cicada^   tree-hoppers,  plant-lice,  bark-lice. 


t 


INTRODUCTION.  1 1 

mealy  bugs,  and  the  like,  that  suck  the  juices  of  plants,  and  require  tlie 
greatest  care  and  watchfulness  on  our  part  to  keep  them  in  check. 

4. — Neuroptera  (Drag-on-Jlies,  Lace-ivinged  flies ;  May-flies, 
Ant-lion,  Day-fly,  Wliite  ants,  Sj'c).  Insects  with  jaws,  four 
netted  wings,  of  which  the  hinder  ones  are  the  largest,  and  no 
sting  or  piercer.  Transformation  complete,  or  partial.  Larva 
and  pupa  various. 

The  white  ants,  wood-lice,  and  wood-ticks  (  Termitidce  and  Psocidce), 
the  latter  including  also  the  little  ominous  death-watch,  are  almost  the 
only  noxious  insects  in  the  order,  and  even  these  do  not  injure  living 
plants.  The  dragon-flies,  or,  as  they  are  commonly  called  in  this 
country,  devil's  needles  {Lilelluladce),  prey  upon  gnats  and  niosquitos  ; 
and  their  larva?  and  pupa?,  as  well  as  those  of  the  day-flies  {Ephemerada), 
semblians  (Semblididce),  and  those  of  some  of  the  May-flies,  called 
cadis-worms  {Phrijganeada),  all  of  which  live  in  the  water,  devour 
aquatic  insects.  The  predaceous  habits  of  the  ant-lions  {MyrmeJcon- 
tides)  have  been  often  described.  The  lace-winged  flies  {HemeroiiadcB), 
in  the  larva  state,  live  wholly  on  plant-lice,  great  numbers  of  which  they 
destroy.  The  mantispians  [Mantispadce) ,  and  the  scorpion-flies  {Pernor- 
pad(z),  are  also  predaceous  insects. 

5.  —  Lepidoptera  [Butterflies  and  Moths).  Mouth  with  a 
spiral  sucking-tube;  wings  four,  covered  with  branny  scales. 
Transformation  complete.  The  larvae  are  caterpillars,  and 
have  six  true  legs,  and  from  four  to  ten  fleshy  prop-legs.  Pupa 
with  the  cases  of  the  wings  and  of  the  legs  indistinct,  and 
soldered  to  the  breast. 

Some  kinds  of  caterpillars  are  domestic  pests,  and  devour  cloth,  wool, 
furs,  feathers,  wax,  lard,  flour,  and  the  like ;  but  by  far  the  greatest 
number  live  wholly  on  vegetable  food,  certain  kinds  being  exclusively 
leaf-eaters,  while  others  attack  the  buds,  fruit,  seeds,  bark,  pith,  stems, 
and  roots  of  plants. 

6.  —  Hymenoptera  (Saic-flies,  Ants,  Wasps,  Bees,  Sf'c).  In- 
sects with  jaws,  four  veined  wings,  in  most  species,  the  hinder 
pair  being  the  smallest,  and  a  piercer  or  sting  at  the  extremity 
of  the  abdomen.  Transformation  complete.  Larvas  mostly 
maggot-like,  or  slug-like ;  of  some,  caterpiUar-like.  Pupae  with 
the  legs  and  wings  unconfined. 


12  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

In  the  adult  stale  these  insects  live  chiefly  on  the  honey  and  pollen  of 
flowers,  and  the  juices  of  fruits.  The  larva;  of  the  saw-flies  {Tenlhre- 
dinida-),  under  the  form  of  false-caterpillars  and  slugs,  are  leaf-eaters, 
and  are  oftentimes  productive  of  much  injury  to  plants.  The  larvae  of 
the  xiphydrians  (Xiphydriadcr),  and  of  the  horn-tails  (UroceridcB),  are 
borers  and  wood-eaters,  and  consequently  injurious  to  the  plants  inhab- 
ited by  them.  Pines  and  firs  suffer  most  from  their  attacks.  Some  of 
the  wartv  excrescences  on  the  leaves  and  stems  of  plants,  such  as  oak- 
apples,  gall-nuts,  and  the  like,  arise  from  the  punctures  of  four-winged 
gall-flies  (Diplolepididcr),  and  the  irritation  produced  by  their  larvae, 
which  reside  in  these  swellings.  The  injury  caused  by  them  is,  com- 
paratively, of  very  little  importance,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  we  are 
greatly  indebted  to  these  insects  for  the  gall-nuts  that  are  extensively 
used  in  coloring,  and  in  medicine,  and  form  the  chief  ingredient  in  ink. 
We  may,  therefore,  write  down  these  insects  among  the  benefactors  of 
the  human  race.  Immense  numbers  of  caterpillars  and  other  noxious 
insects  are  preyed  upon  by  internal  enemies,  the  larva)  of  the  ichneumon- 
flies  (Evaniadcr,  Ichneumonidcc,  and  ChaJcididce),  which  live  upon  the 
fat  of  their  victims,  and  finally  destroy  them.  Some  of  these  ichneumon- 
flies  {Idmcnmones  ovulorum*)  are  extremely  small,  and  confine  their 
attacks  to  the  eggs  of  other  insects,  which  they  puncture,  and  the  little 
creatures  produced  from  the  latter  find  a  sufficient  quantity  of  food  to 
supply  all  their  wants  within  the  larger  eggs  they  occupy.  The  ruby- 
tails  (Chrysididcp),  and  the  cuckoo-bees  {Hylaus,  Sphecodes,  Nomada, 
Melecta,  Epeolus,  Ccrlioxys,  and  S/eZis),  lay  their  eggs  in  the  provisioned 
nests  of  other  insects,  whose  young  are  robbed  of  their  food  by  the 
earlier  hatched  intruders,  and  are  consequently  starved  to  death.  The 
wood-wasps  ( Cra?)rouid(p) ,  and  numerous  kinds  of  sand-wasps  [Larradce^ 
Bemhicidcr,  Sphegidir,  Pompilidcp,  and  Scoliadir),  mud-wasps  {Peh' 
p(eiis),  the  stinging  velvet-ants  {MutUlad(i'),  and  the  solitary  \vasps 
{Odynerus  and  Eiimcnes),  arc  predaccous  in  their  habits,  and  provision 
their  nests  with  oilier  insects,  which  serve  for  food  to  their  young.  The 
food  of  ants  consists  of  animal  and  vegetable  juices ;  and  though  these 
industrious  little  animals  sometimes  prove  troublesome  by  their  fondness 
for  sweets,  yet,  as  they  seize  and  destroy  many  insects  also,  their  occa- 
sional trespasses  may  well  be  forgiven.  Even  the  proverbially  irritable 
paper-making  wasps  and  hornets  {Polistes  and  Vcspa),  are  not  without 
their  use  in  the  economy  of  nature ;  for  they  feed  their  tender  ofl^spring 


*  Now  placed  among  the  rrodotrnpida;. 


INTRODUCTION.  ,  13 

not  only  with  vegetable  juices,  but  with  the  softer  parts  of  other  insects, 
great  numbers  of  which  tiiey  seize  and  destroy  for  this  purpose.  The 
solitary  and  social  bees  (Andrenadce  and  Apidcr)  live  wholly  on  the 
honey  and  pollen  of  flowers,  and  feed  their  young  with  a  mixture  of  the 
same,  called  bee-bread.  Various  kinds  of  bees  are  domesticated  for  the 
sake  of  their  stores  of  wax  and  honey,  and  are  thus  made  to  contribute 
directly  to  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  man,  in  return  for  the  care 
and  attention  aflbrded  them.  Honey  and  wax  are  also  obtained  from 
several  species  of  wild  bees  {Melipona,  Trigona,  and  Tetragona), 
essentially  different  from  the  domesticated  kinds.  While  bees  and  other 
hymenoplerous  insects  seek  only  the  gratification  of  their  own  inclina- 
tions, in  their  frequent  visits  to  flowers,  they  carry  on  their  bodies  the 
yellow  dust  or  pollen  from  one  blossom  to  another,  and  scatter  it  over 
the  parts  prepared  to  receive  and  be  fertilized  by  it,  whereby  they  render 
an  important  service  to  vegetation. 

7.  —  DiPTERA  {Mosquitos,  Gnats,  Flics,  t^t-.).  Insects  with 
a  horny  or  fleshy  proboscis,  two  wings  only,  and  two  knobbed 
threads,  called  balancers  or  poisers,  behind  the  wings.  Trans- 
formation complete.  The  larvae  are  maggots,  without  feet, 
and  with  the  breathing-holes  generally  in  the  hinder  extremity 
of  the  body.  Pupse  mostly  incased  in  the  diied  skin  of  the 
larvae,  sometimes,  however,  naked,  in  which  case  the  wings  and 
the  legs  are  visible,  and  are  found  to  be  more  or  less  free  or 
unconfined. 

The  two-winged  insects,  though  mostly  of  moderate  or  small  size,  are 
not  only  very  numerous  in  kinds  or  species,  but  also  extremely  abundant 
in  individuals  of  the  same  kind,  often  appearing  in  swarms  of  countless 
multitudes.  Flies  are  destined  to  live  wholly  on  liquid  food,  and  are 
therefore  provided  with  a  proboscis,  enclosing  hard  and  sharp-pointed 
darts,  instead  of  jaws,  and  fitted  for  piercing  and  sucking,  or  ending 
with  soft  and  fleshy  lips  for  lapping.  In  our  own  persons  we  suffer 
much  from  the  sharp  suckers  and  blood-thirsty  propensities  of  gnats  and 
mosquitos  (Culicido'),  and  also  from  those  of  certain  midges  {Cerato- 
pogon  and  Simidium),  including  the  tormenting  black-flies  [Simulium 
molestum)  of  this  country.  The  larvae  of  these  insects  live  in  stagnant 
water,  and  subsist  on  minute  aquatic  animals.  Horse-flies  and  the 
golden-eyed  forest-flies  {TabanidcB),  whose  larvae  live  in  the  ground, 
and  the  stinging  stable-flies  (Stomoxys),  which  closely  resemble  common 
house-flies,  and  in  the  larva  state  live  in  dung,  attack  both  man  and 


14  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

animals,  goading  the  latter  sometimes  almost  to  madness  by  their  severe 
and  incessant  punctures.     The  winged  horse-ticks  (Hippobosca),  the 
bird-flics  {Ornithomyicp),  the  wingless  sheep-ticks  (Melophagi),  and  the 
spider-flies  {Nycteribicr),  and  bee-lice  (Braider),  which  are  also  desti- 
tute of  wings,  are  truly  parasitical  in  their  habits,  and  pass  their  whole 
lives  upon  the  skin  of  animals.     Bot-flies,  or  gad-flies  {(Esiridcp) ,  as 
they  are  sometimes  called,  appear  to  take  no  food  while  in  the  winged 
state,  and   are  destitute  of  a  proboscis ;  the  nourishment  obtained  by 
their  larva?,  which,  as  is  well  known,  live  in  the  bodies  of  horses,  cattle, 
sheep,  and  other  animals,  being  sufficient  to  last  these  insects  during  the 
rest  of  their  lives.    Some  flics,  though  apparently  harmless  in  the  winged 
state,  deposit  their  eggs  on  plants,  on  the  juices  of  which  their  young 
subsist,  and  are  oftentimes  productive  of  immense  injury  to  vegetation  ; 
among  these  the  most  notorious  for  their  depredations  are  the  gall-gnats 
(Cecidomyia;),  including  the  wheat-fly  and  Hessian  fly,  the  root-eating 
maggots  of  some  of  the  long-legged  gnats  ( Tipw/^) ,  those  of  the  flower- 
flies  (Ajithoniy ice),  and  the  two-winged  gall-flies  and  fruit-flies  {Ortali- 
des).     To  this  list  of  noxious  flies  are  to  be  added  the  common  house- 
flics  (Musccr),  which  pass  through  the  maggot  state  in  dung  and  other 
tilth,  the   blue-bottle  or   blow-flies,  and  meat-flies  (Lucilicn  and  Calli- 
phorcr),  together  with  the  maggot-producing  or   viviparous  flesh-flies 
(Sarcophagcc  and  Cynomyice),  whose  maggots  live  in  flesh,  the  cheese- 
fly  [Piophila),  the  parent  of  the  well-known  skippers,  and  a  few  others 
that  in   the  larva  state  attack  our   household  stores.     Some   flies  are 
entirely  harmless  in  all   their  states,  and  many  are  eminently  useful  in 
various  ways.     Even  the  common  house-flies,  and  flesh-flies,  together 
with  others,  for  which  no  names  exist  in  our  language,  render  important 
services  by  feeding  while  larvae  upon  dung,  carrion,  and  all  kinds  of 
filth,  by  which  means,  and  by  similar  services,  rendered  by  various  tribes 
of  scavenger-beetles,  these  offensive  matters  speedily  disappear,  instead 
of  remaining  to  decay  slowly,  thereby  tainting  the  air  and  rendering  it 
unwholesome.     Those  whose  larva?  live  in  stagnant  water,  such  as  gnats 
{CuUcid(r),  feather-horned   gnats  {Chironomus,  &c.),  the  soldier-flies 
(Stratiomyadcr),  the  rat-tailed  flies  {Helophilus,  &c.  &c.),  tend  to  pre- 
vent the  water  from  becoming  putrid,  by  devouring  the  decayed  animal 
and  vegetable  matter  it  contains.     The  maggots  of  some  flies  [Myceto- 
pliilit  and  various  Muscadce)  live  in  mushrooms,  toadstools,  and  similar 
excrescences  growing  on  trees;  those  of  others  (Sargi,  Xylopliagidce, 
AsilidcB,  Therevcp,  MilcsicB,  Xylotce,  Borbori,  die.  &c.),  in  rotten  wood 
and  bark,  thereby  joining  with  the  grubs  of  certain  beetles  to  hasten  the 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

removal  of  these  dead  and  useless  substances,  and  make  room  for  new 
and  more  vigorous  vegetation.  Some  of  these  wood-eating  insects,  with 
others,  when  transformed  to  flies  {Asilidce.,  Rhagio/iidce,  Dolichopidcr, 
and  Xylophagidce),  prey  on  other  insects.  Some  (Syrphidce),  though 
not  predaceous  themselves  in  the  winged  state,  deposit  their  eggs  among 
plant-lice,  upon  the  blood  of  which  their  young  afterwards  subsist. 
Many  (Conopidce, excluding  Stomoxys,  Tachina;,  OcyptercB,  Phorcp,  &c.) 
lay  their  eggs  on  caterpillars,  and  on  various  other  larvse,  within  the 
bodies  of  which  the  maggots  hatched  from  these  eggs  live  till  they 
destroy  their  victims.  And  finally  others  {AnthracidtE  and  Volucellcp) 
drop  their  eggs  in  the  nests  of  insects,  whose  offspring  are  starved  to 
death,  by  being  robbed  of  their  food  by  the  offspring  of  these  cuckoo- 
flies.  Besides  performing  their  various  appointed  tasks  in  the  economy 
of  nature,  flies,  and  other  insects,  subserve  another  highly  important 
purpose,  for  which  an  all-wise  Providence  has  designed  them,  namely, 
that  of  furnishing  food  to  numerous  other  animals.  Not  to  mention  the 
various  kinds  of  insect-ealing  quadrupeds,  such  as  bats,  moles,  and  the 
like,  many  birds  live  partly  or  entirely  on  insects.  The  finest  song- 
birds, nightingales  and  thrushes,  feast  with  the  highest  relish  on  maggots 
of  all  kinds,  as  well  as  on  flies  and  other  insects,  while  the  warblers, 
vireous,  and  especially  the  fly-catchers  and  swallows,  devour  these  two- 
winged  insects  in  great  numbers. 

The  seven  foregoing  orders  constitute  very  natural  groups, 
relatively  of  nearly  equal  importance,  and  sufficiently  distinct 
from  each  other,  but  connected  at  different  points  by  various 
resemblances.  It  is  impossible  to  show  the  mutual  relations 
of  these  orders,  when  they  are  arranged  in  a  continuous  series, 
but  these  can  be  better  expressed  and  understood  by  grouping 
the  orders  together  in  a  cluster,  so  that  each  order  shall  come 
in  contact  with  several  others. 

Besides  these  seven  orders,  there  are  several  smaller  groups, 
which  some  naturalists  have  thought  proper  to  raise  to  the  rank 
of  independent  orders.  Upon  the  principal  of  these,  a  few 
remarks  will  now  be  made. 

The  little  order  Strepsiptera  of  Kirby,  or  Rhipiptera  of 
Latreille,  consists  of  certain  minute  insects,  which  undergo 
their  transformations  within  the  bodies  of  bees  and  wasps. 
One  of  them,  the  Xenos  Peckii,  was  discovered  by  Professor 
Peck  in  the  common  brown  wasp   {Polistes  fuscata)  of  this 


16  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

coniitry.  The  larva  is  maggot-like,  and  lives  between  the  rings 
of  the  back  of  the  wasp;  the  pupa  resembles  that  of  some 
flies,  and  is  cased  in  the  dried  skin  of  the  larva.  The  females 
never  acquire  wings,  and  never  leave  the  bodies  of  the  bees  or 
wasps  into  which  they  penetrate  while  young.  The  males,  in 
the  adult  state,  have  a  pair  of  short,  narrow,  and  twisted  mem- 
bers, instead  of  fore-wings,  and  two  very  large  hind-wings, 
folded  lengthwise  like  a  fan.  The  mouth  is  provided  with  a 
pair  of  slender,  sharp-pointed  jaws,  better  adapted  for  piercing 
than  for  biting.  It  is  very  difficult  to  determine  the  proper 
place  of  these  insects  in  a  natural  arrangement.  Latreille  put 
them  between  the  Lepidoptera  and  Diptera,  but  thinks  them 
most  nearly  allied  to  some  of  the  Hymenoptera. 

The  flea  ti'ibe  {Pulicidcc)  was  placed  among  the  bugs,  or 
Hemiptera,  by  Fabricius.  It  constitutes  the  order  Aptera  of 
Leach,  Sipiionaptera  of  Latreille,  and  Aphaniptera  of  Kkby. 
Fleas  are  destitute  of  wings,  in  the  place  whereof  there  are 
four  little  scales,  pressed  closely  to  the  sides  of  their  bodies  ; 
their  mouth  is  fitted  for  suction,  and  provided  with  several 
lancet-like  pieces  for  making  punctures;  they  undergo  a  com- 
])lete  transformation ;  their  larvte  are  worm-like  and  without 
feet;  and  their  pupae  have  the  legs  free.  These  insects,  of 
which  there  are  many  different  kinds,  are  intermediate  in  their 
characteristics  between  the  Hemiptera  and  the  Diptera,  and 
seem  to  connect  more  closely  these  two  orders  together. 

The  ear-wigs  {ForficvladcE)^  of  which  also  there  are  many 
kinds,  were  placed  by  Linnaeus  in  the  order  Coleoptera,  but 
most  naturalists  now  include  them  among  the  Orthoptera ; 
indeed,  they  seem  to  be  related  to  both  orders,  but  most  closely 
to  the  Orthoptera,  with  which  they  agree  in  their  partial  trans- 
formations, and  active  pupae.  They  form  the  little  order  Der- 
MAPTERA  of  Leach,  or  Eupi-exoptera  of  Westwood. 

The  spider-flies,  bird-flies,  sheep-tick,  &c.  {Hippohoscadce), 
which,  with  Latreille  and  others,  I  have  retained  among  the 
Diptera,  form  the  order  Homaloptera  of  Leach,  and  the 
English  entomologists. 

The  May-flies,  or  case-flies  {Phry^aneadw)^  have  been  sepa- 
rated from  the  Neuroptera;  and  constitute  the  order  Tricho- 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

PTERA  of  Kirby.  Latreille  and  most  of  the  naturalists  of  the 
continent  of  Europe  still  retain  them  in  Neuroptera,  to  which 
they  seem  properly  to  belong. 

The  Thrips  ti-ibe  consists  of  minute  insects  more  closely 
allied  to  Hemiptera  than  to  any  other  order,  but  resembling,  in 
some  respects,  the  Orthoptera  also.  It  forms  the  little  order 
Thysanoptera  of  Haliday ;  but  I  propose  to  leave  it,  as  La- 
treille has  done,  among  the  Hemiptera. 

The  English  entomologists  separate  from  Hemiptera  the 
cicadas  or  harvest-flies,  lantern-flies,  frog-hoppers,  plant-lice, 
bark-lice,  &c.,  under  the  name  of  Homoptera;  but  these  insects 
seem  too  nearly  to  resemble  the  true  Hemiptera  to  warrant  the 
separation. 

Burmeister,  a  Prussian  naturalist,  has  subdivided  the  Neu- 
roptera- into  the  orders  Neuroptera  and  Dictyotoptera,  the 
latter  to  include  the  species  which  undergo  only  a  partial 
transformation.  If  Hemiptera  is  to  be  subdivided,  as  above 
mentioned,  then  this  division  of  Neuroptera  will  be  justifiable 
also. 

Objections  have  often  been  raised  against  the  study  of 
natural  history,  and  many  persons  have  been  discouraged  from 
attempting  it,  on  account  of  the  formidable  array  of  scientific 
names  and  terms  which  it  presents  to  the  beginner ;  and  some 
men  of  mean  and  contracted  minds  have  made  themselves 
merry  at  the  expense  of  naturalists,  and  have  sought  to  bring 
the  writings  of  the  latter  into  contempt,  because  of  the  scientific 
language  and  names  they  were  obliged  to  employ.  Entomo- 
logy, or  the  science  that  treats  of  insects,  abounds  in  such 
names  more  than  any  other  branch  of  natural  history;  for  the 
different  kinds  of  insects  very  far  outnumber  the  species  in 
every  class  of  the  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral  kingdoms. 
It  is  owing  to  this  excessive  number  of  species,  and  to  the 
small  size  and  unobtrusive  character  of  many  insects,  that 
comparatively  very  few  have  received  any  common  names, 
either  in  our  own,  or  in  other  modern  tongues ;  and  hence 
most  of  those  that  have  been  described  in  works  of  natural 
history,  are  known  only  by  their  scientific  names.  The  latter 
have  the  advantage  over  other  names  in  being  intelligible  to 


19  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

all  well-educated  persons  in  all  parts  of  the  world ;  while  the 
common  names  of  animals  and  plants  in  our  own  and  other 
modern  languages  are  very  limited  in  their  application,  and 
moreover  are  often  misapplied.  For  example,  the  name  weevil 
is  given,  in  this  country,  to  at  least  six  different  kinds  of  in- 
sects, two  of  which  are  moths,  two  are  flies,  and  two  are 
beetles.  Moreover,  since  nearly  four  thousand  species  of 
weevils  have  actually  been  scientifically  named  and  described, 
when  mention  is  made  of  "  the  weevil,"  it  may  well  be  a  sub- 
ject of  doubt  to  which  of  these  four  thousand  species  the 
speaker  or  writer  intends  to  refer;  whereas,  if  the  scientific 
name  of  the  species  in  question  were  made  known,  this  doubt 
would  at  once  be  removed.  To  give  to  each  of  these  weevils  a 
short,  appropriate,  significant,  and  purely  English  name,  would 
be  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  and  there  would  be  great 
danger  of  overburdening  the  memory  with  such  a  number  of 
names;  but,  by  means  of  the  ingenious  and  simple  method  of 
nomenclature  invented  by  Linnaeus,  these  weevils  are  all 
arranged  under  three  hundred  and  fifty-five  generical,  or  sur- 
names, requiring  in  addition  only  a  small  number  of  different 
words,  like  christian  names,  to  indicate  the  various  species  or 
kinds.  There  is  oftentimes  a  great  convenience  in  the  use  of 
single  collective  terms  for  groups  of  animals  and  plants,  whereby 
the  necessity  for  enumerating  all  the  individual  contents  or  the 
characteristics  of  these  groups  is  avoided.  Thus  the  single 
word  Ruminantia  stands  for  camels,  lamas,  giraffes,  deer,  ante- 
lopes, goats,  sheep,  and  kine,  or  for  all  the  hoofed  quadrupeds, 
which  ruminate  or  chew  the  cud,  and  have  no  front  teeth  in 
the  upper  jaw;  Lepidoptera  includes  all  the  various  kinds  of 
butterflies,  hawk-m.oths,  and  millers  or  moths,  or  insects  having 
wings  covered  with  branny  scales,  and  a  spiral  tongue  instead 
of  jaws,  and  whose  young  appear  in  the  form  of  caterpillars. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  find  or  invent  any  single  English  words 
which  would  be  at  once  so  convenient  and  so  expressive. 
This,  therefore,  is  an  additional  reason  why  scientific  names 
ought  to  be  preferred  to  all  others,  at  least  in  works  of  natural 
history,  where  it  is  highly  important  that  the  objects  described 
should  have  names  that  are  short,  significant  in  themselves, 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

and  not  liable  to  be  mistaken  or  misapplied.  There  is  no  art, 
profession,  trade,  or  occupation,  which  can  be  taught  or  learned 
without  the  use  of  technical  words  or  phrases  belonging  to 
each,  and  which,  to  the  inexperienced  and  untaught,  are  as 
unintelligible  as  the  terms  of  science.  It  is  not  at  all  more 
difficult  to  learn  and  remember  the  latter  than  the  former,  when 
the  attention  has  been  properly  given  to  the  subject.  The 
seaman,  the  farmer,  and  the  mechanic  soon  become  familiar 
with  the  names  and  phrases  peculiar  to  their  several  callings, 
uncouth,  and  without  apparent  signification,  as  many  of  them 
are.  So,  too,  the  terms  of  science  lose  their  forbidding  and 
mysterious  appearance  and  sound  by  the  frequency  of  their 
recurrence,  and  finally  become  as  harmonious  to  the  ear,  as 
they  are  clear  and  definite  in  their  application. 


20  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 


COLEOPTERA. 

Beetles.  —  Scarab.t:ians.  Ground-Beetles.  Tuee-Beetles.  Cockchafers 
OR  May-Beetles.  Flower-Beetles.  Stag-Beetles.  — Buprestians,  or 
Saw-horned  Borers.  —  Spring-Beetles.  —  Timber-Beetles.  —  Weevils.  — 
Cylindrical  Bark-Beetles.  —  Capricorn-Beetles,  or  Long-horned  Bor- 
ers. —  Leaf-Beetles.  Criocerians.  Leai'-mining  Beetles.  — Tortoise- 
Beetles.     Chrysomelians.  —  Cantiiarides. 

The  wings  of  beetles  are  covered  and  concealed  by  a  pair  of 
horny  cases  or  shells,  meeting  in  a  sti-aight  line  on  the  top  of 
the  back,  and  usually  having  a  little  triangular  or  semicircular 
piece,  called  the  scutel,  wedged  between  their  bases.  Hence 
the  order  to  which  these  insects  belong  is  called  Coleoptera,  a 
word  signifying  wings  in  a  sheath.  Beetles*  are  biting-insects, 
and  are  provided  with  two  pairs  of  jaws  moving  sidewise. 
Their  young  arc  grubs,  and  undergo  a  complete  transformation 
in  coming  to  maturity. 

At  the  head  of  this  order  Linnaeus  placed  a  gi-oup  of  insects, 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Scarab^eus.  It  includes  the 
largest  and  most  robust  animals  of  the  beetle  kind,  many  of 
them  remarkable  for  the  singularity  of  their  shape,  and  the 
formidable  horn-like  prominences  with  which  they  are  fur- 
nished,—  together  with  others,  which,  though  they  do  not 
present  the  same  imposing  appearance,  require  to  be  noticed, 
on  account  of  the  injury  sustained  by  vegetation  from  their 
attacks.  An  immense  number  of  Scaraboeians  (So arable id,e), 
as  they  may  be  called,  arc  now  known,  differing  greatly  from 
each  other,  not  only  in  structure,  but  in  their  habits  in  the  larva 
and  adult  states.  They  are  all  easily  distinguished  by  their 
short  movable  horns  or  antenna?,  ending  with  a  knob,  composed 
of  three  or  more  leaf-like  pieces,  which  open  like  the  petals  of 
a  flower-bud.  Another  feature  that  they  possess  in  common, 
is  the  projecting  ridge  {clypeus)  of  the  forehead,  which  extends 

*  Beetle,  in  old  English,  bctl,  bijtl,  or  litel,  means  a  biter,  or  insect  that  bites. 


COLEOPTERA.  21 

more  or  less  over  the  face,  like  the  visor  or  brim  of  a  cap,  and 
beneath  the  sides  of  this  visor  the  antennae  are  implanted. 
Moreover,  the  legs  of  these  beetles,  particularly  the  first  pair, 
are  fitted  for  digging,  being  deeply  notched,  or  furnished  with 
several  strong  teeth  on  the  outer  edges ;  and  the  feet  are  five- 
jointed.  This  very  extensive  family  of  insects  is  subdivided 
into  several  smaller  groups,  each  composed  of  beetles  distin- 
guished by  various  peculiarities  of  structure  and  habits.  Some 
live  mostly  upon  or  beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  were, 
therefore,  called  ground-beetles  by  De  Geer;  some,  in  their 
winged  state,  are  found  on  trees,  the  leaves  of  which  they 
devour;  they  are  the  tree-beetles  ^f  the  same  author;  and 
others,  during  the  same  period  of  their  lives,  frequent  flowers, 
and  are  called  flower-beetles.  The  ground-beetles,  including 
the  earth-borers  {GeotrupidcE),  and  dung-beetles  [Coprididce 
and  Aphodiadce),  which,  in  all  their  states,  are  found  in  excre- 
ment, the  skin-beetles  ( Trog'idce),  which  inhabit  dried  animal 
substances,  and  the  gigantic  Hercules-beetles  [Dynastida), 
which  live  in  rotten  wood  or  beneath  old  dung-lieaps,  must  be 
passed  over  without  further  comment.  The  other  groups  con- 
tain insects  that  are  very  injurious  to  vegetation,  and  therefore 
require  to  be  more  particularly  noticed. 

One  of  the  most  common,  and  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
tree-beetles  of  this  country,  is  the  Arcoda  lanig-cra,  or  woolly 
Areoda,  sometimes  also  called  the  goldsmith-beetle.  It  is 
about  nine  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length,  broad  oval  in  shape,  of 
a  lemon-yellow  color  above,  glittering  like  burnished  gold  on 
the  top  of  the  head  and  thorax ;  the  under-side  of  the  body  is 
copper-colored,  and  thickly  covered  with  whitish  wool;  and 
the  legs  are  brownjsh  yellow,  or  brassy,  shaded  with  green. 
These  fine  beetles  begin  to  appear  in  Massachusetts  about  the 
middle  of  May,  and  continue  generally  tiU  the  twentieth  of 
June.  In  the  morning  and  evening  twilight  they  come  forth 
from  their  retreats,  and  fly  about  with  a  humming  and  rustling 
sound  among  the  branches  of  trees,  the  tender  leaves  of  which 
they  devour.  Pear-trees  are  particularly  subject  to  their  attacks, 
but  the  elm,  hickory,  poplar,  oak,  and  probably  also  other  kinds 
of  trees,   are   frequented    and  injured   by  them.     During  the 


22  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

middle  of  the  day  they  remain  at  rest  upon  the  trees,  clinging 
to  the  nnder-sides  of  the  leaves;  and  endeavor  to  conceal 
themselves  by  drawing  two  or  three  leaves  together,  and  hold- 
ing them  in  this  position  with  their  long  unequal  claws.  In 
some  seasons  they  occur  in  profusion,  and  then  may  be  obtained 
in  great  quantities  by  shaking  the  young  trees  on  which  they 
are  lodged  in  the  daytime,  as  they  do  not  attempt  to  fly  when 
thus  disturbed,  but  fall  at  once  to  the  ground.  The  larvae  of 
these  insects  are  not  known;  probably  they  live  in  the  gi'ound 
upon  tiie  roots  of  plants.  The  group  to  which  the  goldsmith- 
beetle  belongs  may  be  called  Rutilians  (rutilid^),  from  Rntela, 
or  more  correctly  Rutila,  sonifying  shining,  the  name  of  the 
principal  genus  included  in  it.  The  Rutilians  connect  the 
ground-beetles  with  the  tree-beetles  of  the  following  group, 
having  the  short  and  robust  legs  of  the  former,  with  the  leaf- 
eating  habits  of  the  latter. 

The  spotted  Pelidnota,  Pelidnota  punctata,  is  also  arranged 
among  the  Rutilians.  This  large  beetle  is  found  on  the  culti- 
vated and  wild  grape-vine,  sometimes  in  great  abundance, 
during  the  months  of  July  and  August.  It  is  of  an  oblong 
oval  shape,  and  about  an  inch  long.  The  wing-covers  are 
tile-colored,  or  dull  brownish  yellow,  with  three  distant  black 
dots  on  each ;  the  thorax  is  darker,  and  slightly  bronzed,  with 
a  black  dot  on  each  side ;  the  body  beneath,  and  the  legs,  are 
of  a  deep  bronzed  green  color.  These  beetles  fly  by  day;  but 
may  also  be  seen  at  the  same  time  on  the  leaves  of  the  grape, 
which  are  their  only  food.  They  sometimes  prove  very  injuri- 
ous to  the  vine.  The  only  method  of  destroying  them,  is  to 
pick  them  ofl'  by  hand,  and  crush  them  under  foot.  The  larva? 
live  in  rotten  wood,  such  as  the  stumps  and, roots  of  dead  trees; 
and  do  not  differ  essentially  from  those  of  other  Scarabaeians. 

Among  the  tree-beetles,  those  commonly  called  dors,  chafers, 
May-bugs,  and  rose-bugs,  are  the  most  interesting  to  the  farmer 
and  gardener,  on  account  of  their  extensive  ravages,  both  in 
the  winged  and  larva  states.  They  were  included  by  Fabricius 
in  the  genus  Melolontha,  a  word  used  by  the  ancient  Greeks  to 
distinguish  the  same  kind  of  insects,  which  were  supposed  by 
them  to  be  produced  from  or  with  the  flowers  of  apple-trees,  as 


COLEOPTERA.  23 

the  name  itself  implies.  These  beetles,  together  with  many 
others,  for  which  no  common  names  exist  in  our  language,  are 
now  united  in  one  family  called  melolonthad.e,  or  Melolon- 
thians.  The  following  are  the  general  characters  of  these 
insects.  The  body  is  oblong  oval,  convex,  and  generally  of  a 
brownish  color;  the  antennae  are  nine  or  more  commonly  ten 
jointed,  the  knob  is  much  longer  in  the  males  than  in  the 
females,  and  consists  generally  of  three  leaf-like  pieces,  some- 
times of  a  greater  number,  which  open  and  shut  like  the  leaves 
of  a  book;  the  visor  is  short  and  wide;  the  upper  jaws  are 
furnished  at  base  on  the  inner  side  with  an  oval  space,  crossed 
by  ridges,  like  a  millstone,  for  grinding;  the  thorax  is  trans- 
versely square,  or  nearly  so ;  the  wing-cases  do  not  cover  the 
whole  of  the  body,  the  hinder  extremity  of  which  is  exposed; 
the  legs  are  rather  long,  the  first  pair  armed  externally  with 
two  or  three  teeth ;  and  the  claws  are  notched  beneath,  or  are 
split  at  the  end  like  the  nib  of  a  pen.  The  powerful  and  horny 
jaws  are  admirably  fitted  for  cutting  and  grinding  the  leaves  of 
plants,  upon  which  these  beetles  subsist;  their  notched  or  double 
claws  support  them  securely  on  the  foliage ;  and  their  strong 
and  jagged  fore-legs,  being  formed  for  digging  in  the  ground, 
point  out  the  place  of  their  transformations. 

The  habits  and  transformations  of  the  common  cockchafer 
of  Europe  have  been  carefully  observed,  and  will  serve  to 
exemplify  those  of  the  other  insects  of  this  family,  which,  as 
far  as  they  are  known,  seem  to  be  nearly  the  same.  This 
insect  devours  the  leaves  of  trees  and  shrubs.  Its  duration  in 
the  perfect  state  is  very  short,  each  individual  living  only  about 
a  week,  and  the  species  entirely  disappearing  in  the  course  of 
a  month.  After  the  sexes  have  paired,  the  males  perish,  and 
the  females  enter  the  earth  to  the  depth  of  six  inches  or  more, 
making  their  way  by  means  of  the  strong  teeth  which  arm  the 
fore-legs;  here  they  deposit  their  eggs,  amounting,  according 
to  some  writers,  to  nearly  one  hundred,  or,  as  others  assert,  to 
two  hundred  from  each  female,  which  are  abandoned  by  the 
parent,  who  generally  ascends  again  to  the  surface,  and  per- 
ishes in  a  short  time. 


24  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

From  the  eggs  are  hatched,  in  the  space  of  fourteen  days, 
little  whitish  grubs,  each  provided  with  sLx  legs  near  the  head, 
and  a  mouth  furnished  with  strong  jaw^s.  When  in  a  state  of 
rest,  these  grubs  usually  curl  themselves  in  the  shape  of  a 
crescent.  They  subsist  on  the  tender  roots  of  various  plants, 
committing  ravages  among  these  vegetable  substances,  on  some 
occasions  of  the  most  deplorable  kind,  so  as  totally  to  disappoint 
the  best  founded  hopes  of  the  husbandman.  During  the  summer 
they  live  under  the  thin  coat  of  vegetable  mould  near  the  sur- 
face, but,  as  winter  approaches,  they  descend  below  the  reach 
of  frost,  and  remain  torpid  until  the  succeeding  spring,  at  which 
rime  they  change  their  skins,  and  reascend  to  the  surface  for 
food.  At  the  close  of  their  third  summer  (or,  as  some  say,  of 
the  fourth  or  fifth),  they  cease  eating,  and  penetrate  about  two 
feet  deep  into  the  earth;  there,  by  its  motions  from  sjde  to  side, 
each  grub  forms  an  oval  cavity,  which  is  lined  by  some  glutin- 
ous substance  thrown  from  its  mouth.  In  this  cavity  it  is 
changed  to  a  pupa  by  casting  off  its  skin.  In  this  state,  the 
legs,  anteijnae,'  and  wing-cases  of  the  future  beetle  are  visible 
through  the  transparent  skin  which  envelopes  them,  but  appear 
of  a  yeUowish-white  color;  and  thus  it  remains  until  the  month 
of  February,  when  the  thin  film  which  encloses  the  body  is 
rent,  and  three  months  afterwards  the  perfected  beetle  digs  its 
way  to  the  surface,  from  which  it  finally  emerges  during  the 
night.  According  to  Kirby  and  Spence,  the  grubs  of  the  cock- 
chafer sometimes  destroy  whole  acres  of  grass  by  feeding  on 
its  roots.  They  undermine  the  richest  meadows,  and  so  loosen 
the  turf  tiiat  it  will  roll  up  as  if  cut  by  a  turfing  spade.  They 
do  not  confine  themselves  to  grass,  but  eat  the  roots  of  wheat, 
of  other  grains,  and  also  those  of  young  trees.  About  seventy 
years  ago,  a  farmer  near  Norwich,  in  England,  suffered  much 
by  them,  and,  with  his  man,  gathered  eighty  bushels  of  the 
beetles.  In  the  year  1785  many  provinces  in  France  were  so 
ravaged  by  them,  that  a  premium  was  offered  by  government 
for  the  best  mode  of  destroying  them.  The  Society  of  Arts  in 
London,  during  many  years,  held  forth  a  premium  for  the  best 
account  of  this  insect,  and  the  means  of  checking  its  ravages, 
but  without  having  produced  one  successful  claimant. 

^mmnr  UMAn 
a.  C.  SlKlt  CWItjr* 


COLEOPTERA.  25 

In  their  winged  state,  these  beetles,  with  several  other  spe- 
cies, act  as  conspicuous  a  part  in  injuring  the  trees,  as  the 
grubs  do  in  destroying  the  herbage.  During  the  month  of 
May  they  come  forth  from  the  ground,  whence  they  have 
received  the  name  of  May-bugs,  or  May-beetles.  They  pass 
the  greater  part  of  the  day  upon  trees,  clinging  to  the  under- 
sides of  the  leaves,  in  a  state  of  repose.  As  soon  as  evening 
approaches,  they  begin  to  buzz  about  among  the  branches,  and 
continue  on  the  wing  till  towards  midnight.  In  their  droning 
flight  they  move  very  irregularly,  darting  hither  and  thither 
with  an  uncertain*  aim,  hitting  against  objects  in  their  way 
with  a  force  that  often  causes  them  to  fall  to  the  ground. 
They  frequently  enter  houses  in  the  night,  apparently  attracted, 
as  well  as  dazzled  and  bewildered,  by  the  lights.  Their  vaga- 
ries, in  which,  without  having  the  power  to  harm,  they  seem 
to  threaten  an  attack,  have  caused  them  to  be  called  dors,  that 
is  darers;  while  their  seeming  blindness  and  stupidity  have 
become  proverbial,  in  the  expressions,  "  blind  as  a  beetle,"  and 
"beetle-headed."  Besides  the  leaves  of  fruit-trees,  they^  devour 
those  of  various  forest-trees  and  shrubs,  with  an  avidity  not 
much  less  than  that  of  the  locust,  so  that,  in  certain  seasons, 
and  in  particular  districts,  they  become  an  oppressive  scourge, 
and  the  source  of  much  misery  to  the  inhabitants.  Mouffet 
relates  that,  in  the  year  1574,  such  a  number  of  them  fell  into 
the  river  Severn,  as  to  stop  the  wheels  of  the  water-mills ;  and, 
in  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  it  is  stated,  that  in  the  year 
1688  they  filled  the  hedges  and  trees  of  Gal  way,  in  such  infinite 
numbers,  as  to  cling  to  each 'other  like  bees  when  swarming; 
and,  when  on  the  wing,  darkened  the  air,  annoyed  travellers, 
and  produced  a  sound  like  distant  drums.  In  a  short  time,  the 
leaves  of  aU  the  trees,  for  some  miles  round,  were  so  totally 
consumed  by  them,  that  at  midsummer  the  country  wore  the 
aspect  of  the  depth  of  winter. 

Another  chafer,  Anomala  vitis  F.  is  sometimes   exceedingly 
injurious  to  the  vine.    It  prevails  in  certain  provinces  of  France, 
where  it  strips  the  vines  of  their  leaves,  and  also  devours  those 
of  the  wiUow,  poplar,  and  fruit-trees. 
4 


26  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION, 

The  animals  and  birds  appointed  to  check  the  ravages  of 
these  insects,  are,  according  to  Latreille,  the  badger,  weasel, 
martin,  bats,  rats,  the  common  dung-hill  fowl,  and  the  goat- 
sucker or  night-hawk.  To  this  list  may  be  added  the  common 
crow,  which  devours  not  only  the  perfect  insects,  but  their 
larvas,  for  which  purpose  it  is  often  observed  to  follow  the 
plough.  In  "  Anderson's  Recreations "  it  is  stated,  that  "  a 
cautious  observer,  having  found  a  nest  of  five  young  jays, 
remarked,  that  each  of  these  birds,  while  yet  very  young, 
consumed  at  least  fifteen  of  these  full-sized  grubs  in  one  day, 
and  of  course  would  require  many  more  of  ^  smaller  size.  Say 
that,  on  an  average  of  sizes,  they  consumed  twenty  a-piece, 
these  for  the  five  make  one  hundred.  Each  of  the  parents 
consume  say  fifty ;  so  that  the  pair  and  family  devour  two 
hundred  every  day.  This,  in  three  months,  amounts  to  tw'enty 
thousand  in  one  season.  But  as  the  grub  continues  in  that 
state  four  seasons,  this  single  pair,  with  their  family  alone, 
without  reckoning  their  descendants  after  the  first  year,  would 
destroy  eighty  thousand  grubs.  Let  us  suppose  that  the  half, 
namely,  forty  thousand,  are  females,  and  it  is  known  that  they 
usually  lay  about  two  hundred  eggs  each,  it  will  appear,  that 
no  less  than  eight  millions  have  been  destroyed,  or  prevented 
from  being  hatched,  by  the  labors  of  a  single  family  of  jays. 
It  is  by  reasoning  in  this  way,  that  we  learn  to  know  of  what 
importance  it  is  to  attend  to  the  economy  of  nature,  and  to  be 
cautious  how  we  derange  it  by  our  short-sighted  and  futile 
operations."  Our  own  country  abounds  with  insect-eating 
beasts  and  birds,  and  without  doubt  the  more  than  abundant 
Melolontha)  form  a  portion  of  their  nourishment. 

We  have  several  Melolonthians  whose  injuries  in  the  perfect 
and  gi-ub  state  approach  to  those  of  the  European  cockchafer. 
Pliyllopliag-a*  qucrcitia  of  Knoch,  the  May-beetle,  as  it  is  gen- 
erally called  here,  is  our  common  species.  It  is  of  a  chestnut- 
brown  color,  smooth,  but  finely  punctured,  that  is,  covered  with 
little  impressed  dots,  as  if  pricked  with  the  point  of  a  needle; 


*  A  genus  proposed  by  me  in  1826.     It  signifies  leaf-eater.     Dejean  subse- 
quently called  this  genus  Ancyhnycha. 


COLEOPTERA.  27 

each  wing-case  has  tAVO  or  three  slightly  elevated  longitudinal 
lines ;  the  breast  is  clothed  with  yellowish  down.  The  knob  of 
its  antenna;  contains  only  three  leaf-like  joints.  Its  average 
length  is  nine  tenths  of  an  inch.  In  its  perfect  state  it  feeds 
on  the  leaves  of  trees,  particularly  on  those  of  the  cheiTy-tree. 
It  flies  with  a  humming  noise  in  the  night,  from  the  middle  of 
May  to  the  end  of  June,  and  frequently  enters  houses,  attracted 
oy  the  light.  In  the  com'se  of  the  spring,  these  beetles  are 
often  thrown  from  the  earth  by  the  spade  and  plough,  in 
various  states  of  maturity,  some  being  soft  and  nearly  white, 
their  superabundant  juices  not  having  evaporated,  while  others 
exhibit  the  true  color  and  texture  of  the  perfect  insect.  The 
gi'ubs  devour  the  roots  of  grass  and  of  other  plants,  and  in 
many  places  the  turf  may  be  turned  up  like  a  carpet  in  conse- 
quence of  the  destruction  of  the  roots.  The  gi-ub*  is  a  white 
worm  with  a  browaiish  head,  and,  Avhen  fuUy  grown,  is  nearly 
as  thick  as  the  little  finger.  It  is  eaten  greedily  by  crows  and 
fowls.  The  beetles  are  devom*ed  by  the  skunk,  whose  beneficial 
foraging  is  detected  in  our  gardens  by  its  abundant  excrement 
filled  with  the  wdng-cases  of  these  insects.  A  writer  in  the 
"New  York  Evening  Post"  says,  that  the  beetles,  which  fre- 
quently commit  serious  ravages  on  fruit-trees,  may  be  effectually 
exterminated  by  shaking  them  from  the  trees  every  evening. 
In  this  way  two  pailfuls  of  beetles  were  collected  on  the  first 
experiment;  the  number  caught  regularly  decreased  until  the 
fifth  evening,  when  only  two  beetles  were  to  be  found.  The 
best  time,  however,  for  shaking  trees  on  which  the  May-beetles 
are  lodged,  is  in  the  morning,  when  the  insects  do  not  attempt 
to  fly.  They  are  most  easily  collected  in  a  cloth  spread  under 
the  trees  to  receive  them  when  they  fall,  after  which  they  should 
be  thrown  into  boiling  water,  to  kill  them,  and  may  then  be 
given  as  food  to  swine. 


*  There  is  a  grub,  somewhat  resembling  this,  which  is  frequently  found  under 
old  manure  heaps,  and  is  commonly  called  muck- worm.  It  differs,  however,  in 
some  respects,  from  that  of  the  May-beetle,  or  dor-bug,  and  is  transformed  to  a 
dung-beetle  called  Scarabceus  relidus  by  Mr.  Say. 


28  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

There  i«  an  undescribcd  kind  of  Phyllophaga,  or  leaf-eater, 
called,  in  my  Catalogue  of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts,* 
fraterna^  because  it  is  nearly  akin  to  the  qnercina,  in  general 
appearance.  It  differs  from  the  latter,  however,  in  being  smaller, 
and  more  slender;  the  punctures  on  its  thorax  and  wing-covers 
are  not  so  distinct,  and  the  three  elevated  lines  on  the  latter 
are  hardly  visible.  It  measures  thirteen  tw^entieths  of  an  inch 
in  length.  This  beetle  may  be  seen  in  the  latter  part  of  June 
and  the  beginning  of  July,  Its  habits  are  similar  to  those  of 
the  more  abundant  May-beetle  or  dor-bug. 

Another  common  Phi/llophag-a  has  been  described  by  Knoch 
and  Say,  under  the  name  of  hirticvla,  meaning  a  little  hairy. 
It  is  of  a  bay-brown  color,  the  punctures  on  the  thorax  are 
larger  and  more  distinct  than  in  the  quercina,  and  on  each 
wing-cover  are  three  longitudinal  rows  of  short  yellowish  hairs. 
It  measures  about  seven  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  Its  time 
of  appearance  is  in  June  and  July. 

In  some  parts  of  Massachusetts  the  Phyllophaga  Georgicana 
of  Gyllenhall,  or  Georgian  leaf-eater,  takes  the  place  of  the 
quercina.  It  is  extremely  common,  during  May  and  June,  in 
Cambridge,  where  the  other  species  is  rarely  seen.  It  is  of  a 
bay-brown  color,  entirely  covered  on  the  upper  side  with  very 
short  yellowish  gray  hairs,  and  measures  seven  tenths  of  an 
inch,  or  more,  in  length. 

PJiyUopliaga  pilosicollis  of  Knoch,  or  the  hairy-necked  leaf- 
eater,  is  a  small  chafer,  of  an  ochre-yeilow  color,  with  a  very 
hairy  thorax.  It  is  often  thrown  out  of  the  ground  by  the 
spade,  early  in  the  spring ;  but  it  does  not  voluntarily  come 
forth  till  the  middle  of  May.    It  measures  half  an  inch  in  length. 

Hentz's  Melolontha  variolosa^  or  scarred  Melolontha,  differs 
essentially  from  the  foregoing  beetles  in  the  structure  of  its 
antenntp,  the   knob  of  which  consists  of  seven  narrow  strap- 

*  In  order  to  save  unnecessary  repetitions,  it  may  be  ^vell  to  state,  that  the 
Catalogue,  above  named,  to  which  frequent  reference  will  bo  made  in  the  course 
of  this  treatise,  was  drawn  up  by  me,  and  was  published  in  Professor  Hitchcock's 
Report  on  the  Geology,  Mineralogy,  Botany,  and  Zoology  of  Massachusetts,  and 
that  two  editions  of  it  appeared  with  the  Report,  the  first  in  1833,  and  the 
second,  with  numerous  additions,  in  1835. 


COLEOPTERA.  W 

shaped  ochre-yellow  leaves,  which  are  excessively  long  in  the 
males.  This  fine  insect  is  of  a  light  brown  color,  with  irregular 
whitish  blotches,  like  scars,  on  the  thorax  and  wing-covers.  It 
measures  nine  tenths  of  an  inch,  or  more,  in  length.  It  occurs 
abundantly,  in  the  month  of  July,  at  Martha's  Vineyard,  and 
in  some  other  places  near  the  coast;  but  is  rare  in  other  parts 
of  Massachusetts. 

The  foregoing  Melolonthians  are  found  in  gardens,  nurseries, 
and  orchards,  where  they  are  more  or  less  injurious  to  the  fruit- 
trees,  in  proportion  to  their  numbers  in  different  seasons.  They 
also  devour  the  leaves  of  various  forest-trees,  such  as  the  elm, 
maple,  and  oak. 

Omaloplia  vespertina  of  Gyllenhal,  and  sericea  of  Illiger, 
attack  the  leaves  of  the  sweetbriar,  or  sweet-leaved  rose,  on 
which  they  may  be  found  in  profusion  in  the  evening,  about 
the  last  of  June.  They  somewhat  resemble  the  May-beetles 
in  form,  but  are  proportionally  shorter  and  thicker,  and  much 
smaller  in  size.  The  first  of  them,  the  vespertine  or  evening 
Omaloplia,  is  bay -brown;  the  wing-covers  are  marked  with 
many  longitudinal  shallow  furrows,  which,  with  the  thorax, 
are  thickly  punctured.  This  beetle  varies  in  length  from  three 
to  four  tenths  of  an  inch.  Omaloplia  sericea,  the  silky  Oma- 
loplia, closely  resembles  the  preceding  in  every  thing  but  its 
color,  which  is  a  very  deep  chestnut-brown,  iridescent  or 
changeable  like  satin,  and  reflecting  the  colors  of  the  rainbow. 

All  these  Melolonthians  are  nocturnal  insects,  never  appear- 
ing, except  by  accident,  in  the  day,  during  which  they  remain 
under  shelter  of  the  foliage  of  trees  and  shrubs,  or  concealed 
in  the  grass.  Others  are  truly  day-fliers,  committing  their 
ravages  by  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  are  consequently  exposed 
to  observation. 

One  of  our  diurnal  Melolonthians  is  supposed  by  many 
naturalists  to  be  the  Anomala  varians  of  Fabricius;  and  it 
agrees  very  well  with  this  writer's  description  of  the  lucicola; 
but  Professor  Germar  thinks  it  to  be  an  undescribed  species, 
and  proposes  to  name  it  ccelebs.  It  resembles  the  vine-chafer 
of  Europe  in  its  habits,  and  is  found  in  the  months  of  June 
and  July  on  the  cultivated  and  wild  grape-vines,  the  leaves  of 


30  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

which  it  devours.  During  the  same  period,  these  chafers  may 
be  seen  in  still  greater  numbers  on  various  kinds  of  sumach, 
which  they  often  completely  despoil  of  their  leaves.  They  are 
of  a  broad  oval  shape,  and  very  variable  in  color.  The  head 
and  thorax  of  the  male  are  greenish  black,  margined  with  dull 
ochre  or  tile-red,  and  thickly  punctured;  the  wing-covers  are 
clay-yeUow,  in-egnlarly  furrowed,  and  punctured  in  the  furrows ; 
the  legs  are  pale  red,  brown,  or  black.  The  thorax  of  the  female 
is  clay -yellow,  or  tile-red,  sometimes  with  two  oblique  blackish 
spots  on  the  top,  and  sometimes  almost  entirely  black;  the 
wing-covers  resemble  those  of  the  male ;  the  legs  are  clay- 
yellow,  or  light  red.  The  males  are  sometimes  entirely  black, 
and  this  variety  seems  to  be  the  beetle  called  atrata,  by  Fa- 
bricius.  The  males  measure  nearly,  and  the  females  rather 
more  than  seven  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length.  In  the  year 
1825,  these  insects  appeared  on  the  grape-vines  in  a  garden  in 
this  vicinity ;  they  have  since  established  themselves  on  the 
spot,  and  have  so  much  multiplied  in  subsequent  years  as  to 
prove  exceedingly  hurtful  to  the  vines.  In  many  other  gardens 
they  have  also  appeared,  having  probably  found  the  leaves  of 
the  cultivated  grape-vine  more  to  their  taste  than  their  natural 
food.  Should  these  beetles  increase  in  numbers,  they  will  be 
found  as  difficult  to  check  and  extirpate  as  the  destructive 
vine-chafers  of  Europe. 

The  rose-chafer,  or  rose-bug,  as  it  is  more  commonly  and 
incorrectly  called,  is  also  a  dim-nal  insect.  It  is  the  Melolontha 
siibspinosa  of  Fabricius,  by  whom  it  was  first  described,  and 
belongs  to  the  modern  genus  Macrodactylus  of  LatreiUe. 
Common  as  this  insect  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  it  is,  or 
was  a  few  years  ago,  unknown  in  the  northern  and  western 
parts  of  Massachusetts,  in  New  Hampshire,  and  in  Maine. 
It  may,  therefore,  be  well  to  give  a  brief  description  of  it. 
This  beetle  measures  seven  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length. 
Its  body  is  slender,  tapers  before  and  behind,  and  is  entirely 
covered  wifh  very  short  and  close  ashen  yellow  down;  the 
thorax  is  long  and  narrow,  angularly  widened  in  the  middle  of 
each  side,  which  suggested  the  name  snbspitiosa,  or  somewhat 
spined ;  the  legs  are  slender,  and  of  a  pale  red  color;  the  joints 


COLEOPTERA.  31 

of  the  feet  are  tipped  with  black,  and  are  very  long,  which 
caused  LatreiUe  to  call  the  genus  Macrodact>/lus,  that  is  long 
toe,  or  long  foot.  The  natural  history  of  the  rose-chafer,  one 
of  the  greatest  scourges  with  which  our  gardens  and  nurseries 
have  been  afflicted,  was  for  a  long  time  involved  in  mystery, 
but  is  at  last  fully  cleared  up.*  The  prevalence  of  this  insect 
on  the  rose,  and  its  annual  appearance  coinciding  with  the 
blossoming  of  that  flower,  have  gained  for  it  the  popular  name 
by  which  it  is  here  known.  For  some  time  after  they  were 
first  noticed,  rose-bugs  appeared  to  be  confined  to  their  favorite, 
the  blossoms  of  the  rose;  but  within  forty  years  they  have 
prodigiously  increased  in  number,  have  attacked  at  random 
various  kinds  of  plants  in  swarms,  and  have  become  notorious 
for  theu'  extensive  and  deplorable  ravages.  The  grape-vine  in 
particular,  the  cherry,  plum,  and  apple  trees,  have  annually 
suffered  by  their  depredations;  many  other  fruit-trees  and 
shrubs,  garden  vegetables  and  corn,  and  even  the  trees  of  the 
forest  and  the  grass  of  the  fields,  have  been  laid  under  contri- 
bution by  these  indiscriminate  feeders,  by  whom  leaves,  flowers, 
and  fruits  are  alilve  consumed.  The  unexpected  arrival  of 
these  insects  in  swarms,  at  their  first  coming,  and  their  sudden 
disappearance  at  the  close  of  their  career,  are  remarkable  facts 
in  their  history.  They  come  forth  from  the  gi-ound  during  the 
second  week  in  June,  or  about  the  time  of  the  blossoming  of 
the  damask  rose,  and  remain  from  thirty  to  forty  days.  At  the 
end  of  this  period  the  males  become  exhausted,  fall  to  the 
ground  and  perish,  while  the  females  enter  the  earth,  lay  their 
eggs,  return  to  the  surface,  and,  after  lingering  a  few  days,  die 
also.  The  eggs  laid  by  each  female  are  about  thu-ty  in  num- 
ber, and  are  deposited  from  one  to  four  inches  beneath  the 
surface  of  the  soil ;  they  are  nearly  globular,  whitish,  arrd  about 

*  See  ray  essay  in  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository  and  Journal, 
Vol.  X.  p.  8 ;  reprinted  in  the  New  England  Farmer,  Vol.  VI.  p.  18,  &c. ;  my 
Discourse  before  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  p.  31,  Svo.  Cambridge, 
1832  ;  Dr.  Greene's  communication  on  this  insect  in  the  New  England  Farmer, 
Vol.  VI.  pp.  41,  49,  &c. ;  ray  Report  on  Insects  injurious  to  Vegetation,  in 
Massachusetts  House  Document,  No.  72,  April,  1838,  p.  70  ;  and  a  communi- 
cation in  the  New  England  Farmer,  Vol.  IX.  p.  1. 


33  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

one  thirtieth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  are  hatched  twenty 

days  after  they  are  laid.     The  young  larvae  begin  to  feed  on 

such  tender  roots  as  are  within  their  reach.     Like  other  grubs 

of  the  Scarabffiians,  when  not  eating  they  lie  upon  the  side, 

with  the  body  curved  so  that  the  head  and  tail  are  nearly  in 

contact ;  they  move  with  difficulty  on  a  level  surface,  and  are 

continually  falling  over  on  one  side  or  the  other.     They  attain 

their  full  size  in  the  autumn,  being  then  nearly  three  quarters 

of  an  inch  long,  and  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

They   arc  of  a   yellowish   white  color,  with  a  tinge  of  blue 

towards  the  hinder  extremity,  which  is  thick,  and  obtuse  or 

rounded;  a  few  short  hairs  are  scattered  on  the  surface  of  the 

body ;  there  are  six  short  legs,  namely,  a  pair  to  each  of  the 

first  three  rings  behind  the  head,  and  the  latter  is  covered  with 

a  horny  shell  of  a  pale  rust  color.     In  October  they  descend 

below  the  reach  of  frost,  and  pass  the  winter  in  a  torpid  state. 

In  the  spring  they  approach  towards  the  surface,  and  each  one 

forms  for  itself  a  little  cell  of  an  oval  shape,  by  turning  round 

a  great  many  times,  so  as  to  compress  the  earth  and  render 

the  inside  of  the  cavity  hard  and  smooth.     Within  this  cell 

the  grub  is  transformed  to  a  pupa,  during  the  month  of  May, 

by  casting  off  its  skin,  which  is  pushed  downwards  in  folds 

from  the  head  to  the  tail.     The  pupa  has  somewhat  the  form 

of  the  perfected  beetle ;  but  it  is  of  a  yellowish  ^^lite  color, 

and  its  short  stump-like  wings,  its  antennae,  and  its  legs,  are 

folded  upon  the  breast ;  and  its  whole  body  is  enclosed  in  a 

thin  film,  that  WTaps  each  part  separately.     During  the  month 

of  June  this  filmy  skin  is  rent,  the  included  beetle  withdraws 

frorn  it  its  body  and  its  limbs,  bursts  open  its  earthen  cell,  and 

digs  its  way  to  the  surface  of  the  ground.     Thus  the  various 

changes,  from  the  egg  to  the  full  development  of  the  perfected 

beetle,  are  completed  within  the  space  of  one  year. 

Such  being  the  metamorphoses  and  habits  of  these  insects, 
it  is  evident  that  we  cannot  attack  them  in  the  egg,  the  grub, 
or  the  pupa  state ;  the  enemy,  in  these  stages,  is  beyond  our 
reach,  and  is  subject  to  the  control  only  of  the  natural  but 
unknown  means  appointed  by  the  Author  of  Nature  to  keep 
the  insect  tribes  in  check.     When  they  have  issued  from  their 


COLEOPTERA.  33 

subterranean  retreats,  and  have  congregated  upon  our  vines, 
trees,  and  other  vegetable  productions,  in  the  complete  enjoy- 
ment of  their  propensities,  we  must  unite  our  efforts  to  seize 
and  crush  the  invaders.  They  must  indeed  be  crushed,  scalded, 
or  burned,  to  deprive  them  of  life,  for  they  are  not  affected  by 
any  of  the  applications  usually  found  destructive  to  other 
insects.  Experience  has  proved  the  utility  of  gathering  them 
by  hand,  or  of  shaking  them  or  brushing  them  from  the  plants 
into  tin  vessels  containing  a  little  water.  They  should  be 
collected  daily  during  the  period  of  their  visitation,  and  should 
be  committed  to  the  flames,  or  killed  by  scalding  water.  The 
late  John  Lowell,  Esq.,  states,*  that  in  1823  he  discovered,  on 
a  solitary  apple-tree,  the  rose-bugs  "in  vast  numbers,  such  as 
could  not  be  described,  and  would  not  be  believed  if  they  were 
described,  or,  at  least,  none  but  an  ocular  witness  could  con- 
ceive of  their  numbers.  Destruction  by  hand  was  out  of  the 
question,"  in  this  case.  He  put  sheets  under  the  tree,  and  shook 
them  down,  and  burned  them.  Dr.  Green,  of  Mansfield,  whose 
investigations  have  thrown  much  light  on  the  history  of  this 
insect,  proposes  protecting  plants  with  millinet,  and  says  that 
in  this  way  only  did  he  succeed  in  securing  his  grape-vines 
from  depredation.  KQs  remarks  also  show  the  utility  of  gath- 
ering them.  •'  Eighty-six  of  these  spoilers,"  says  he,  "  were 
known  to  infest  a  single  rose-bud,  and  were  crushed  with  one 
grasp  of  the  hand."  Suppose,  as  was  probably  the  case,  that 
one  half  of  them  were  females ;  by  this  destruction,  eight  hun- 
dred eggs,  at  least,  were  prevented  from  becoming  matured. 
Dm'ing  the  time  of  their  prevalence,  rose-bugs  are  sometimes 
found  in  immense  numbers  on  the  flowers  of  the  common 
white-weed,  or  ox-eye  daisy  [Clirysanthemum  leucanthemum) y 
a  worthless  plant,  which  has  come  to  us  from  Eui'ope,  and  has 
been  suffered  to  overrun  our  pastures  and  encroach  on  our 
mowing  lands.  In  certain  cases  it  may  become  expedient 
rapidly  to  mow  down  the  infested  white-weed  in  dry  pastures, 
and  consume  it,  with  the  sluggish  rose-bugs,  on  the  spot. 


*  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository,  Vol.  IX.  p.  145. 

5 


3%  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Our  insect-eating  birds  undoubtedly  devour  many  of  these 
insects,  and  deserve  to  be  cherished  and  protected  for  their 
services.  Rose-bugs  are  also  eaten  greedily  by  domesticated 
fowls ;  and  when  they  become  exhausted  and  fall  to  the  ground, 
or  when  they  are  about  to  lay  their  eggs,  they  are  destroyed  by 
moles,  insects,  and  other  animals,  which  lie  in  wait  to  seize 
them.  Dr.  Green  informs  us,  that  a  species  of  dragon-fly,  or 
devil's-needle,  devours  them.  He  also  says  that  an  insect, 
which  he  calls  the  enemy  of  the  cut-worm,  probably  the  larva 
of  a  Carabus  or  predaceous  ground-beetle,  preys  on  the  grubs 
of  the  common  dor-bug.  In  France  the  golden  ground-beetle 
{Carabns  auratus)  devours  the  female  dor  or  chafer  at  the 
moment  when  she  is  about  to  deposit  her  eggs.  I  have  taken 
one  specimen  of  this  fine  ground-beetle  in  Massachusetts,  and 
we  have  several  other  kinds,  equally  predaceous,  which  probably 
contribute  to  check  the  increase  of  our  native  Melolonthians. 

Very  few  of  the  flower-beetles  are  decidedly  injurious  to 
vegetation.  Some  of  them  are  said  to  eat  leaves;  but  the 
greater  number  live  on  the  pollen  and  the  honey  of  flowers,  or 
upon  the  sap  that  oozes  from  the  wounds  of  plants.  In  the 
infant  or  grub  state,  most  of  them  eat  only  the  crumbled  sub- 
stance of  decayed  roots  and  stumps ;  a  few  live  in  the  wounds 
of  trees,  and  by  their  depredations  prevent  them  from  healing, 
and  accelerate  the  decay  of  the  trunk.  The  flower-beetles 
belong  chiefly  to  a  group  called  Cetoniad^e,  or  Cetonians. 
They  are  easily  distinguished  from  the  other  Scarabaeians  by 
their  lower  jaws,  which  are  generally  soft  on  the  inside,  and 
are  often  provided  with  a  flat  brush  of  hairs,  that  serves  to 
coUect  the  pollen  and  juices  on  which  they  subsist.  Their 
upper  jaws  have  no  grinding  plate  on  the  inside.  Their  an- 
tennae consist  of  ten  joints,  the  last  three  of  which  form  a 
three-leaved  oval  knob.  The  head  is  often  square,  with  a 
large  and  wide  visor,  overhanging  and  entirely  concealing  the 
upper  lip.  The  thorax  is  either  rounded,  somewhat  square,  or 
triangular.  The  wing-cases  do  not  cover  the  end  of  the  body. 
The  fore  legs  are  deeply  notched  on  the  outer  edge;  and  the 
claws  are  equal  and  entire.     These  beetles  are  generally  of  an 


COLEOPTERA.  85 

oblong  oval  form,  somewhat  flattened  above,  and  often  bril- 
liantly colored  and  highly  polished,  sometimes  also  covered 
with  hairs.  Most  of  the  bright-colored  kinds  are  day-fliers; 
those  of  dark  and  plain  tints  are  generally  nocturnal  beetles. 
Some  of  them  are  of  immense  size,  and  have  been  styled  the 
princes  of  the  beetle  tribes;  such  are  the  Incas  of  South 
America,  and  the  Goliah  beetle  (Heg-emon  Goliatus)  of  Guinea, 
the  latter  being  more  than  four  inches  long,  two  inches  broad, 
and  thick  and  heavy  in  proportion. 

Two  American  Cetonians  must  suffice  as  examples  in  this 
group.  The  first  is  the  Indian  Cetonia,  Cetonia  Inda*  one 
of  our  earliest  visitors  in  the  spring,  making  its  appearance 
towards  the  end  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May,  when  it 
may  sometimes  be  seen  in  considerable  numbers  around  the 
borders  of  woods,  and  in  dry  open  fields,  flying  just  above  the 
grass  with  a  loud  humming  sound,  like  a  humble-bee,  for  which 
perhaps  it  might  at  first  sight  be  mistaken.  Like  other  insects  of 
the  same  genus,  it  has  a  broad  body,  very  obtuse  behind,  with 
a  triangular  thorax,  and  a  little  wedge-shaped  piece  on  each 
side  between  the  hinder  angles  of  the  thorax  and  the  shoulders 
of  the  wing-covers ;  the  latter,  taken  together,  form  an  oblong 
square,  but  are  somewhat  notched  or  widely  scalloped  on  the 
middle  of  the  outer  edges.  The  head  and  thorax  of  this  beetle 
are  dark  copper-brown,  or  almost  black,  and  thickly  covered 
with  short  greenish  yellow  hairs;  the  wing-cases  are  light 
yellowish  brown,  but  changeable,  with  pearly  and  metallic 
tints,  and  spattered  with  numerous  irregular  black  spots ;  the 
under  side  of  the  body,  which  is  very  hairy,  is  of  a  black  color, 
with  the  edges  of  the  rings  and  the  legs  dull  red.  It  measures 
about  six  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  During  the  summer 
months  the  Indian  Cetonia  is  not  seen ;  but  about  the  middle 
of  September  a  new  brood  comes  forth,  the  beetles  appearing 
fresh  and  bright,  as  though  they  had  just  completed  their  last 
transformation.  At  this  time  they  may  be  found  on  the  flowers 
of  the  golden-rod,  eating  the  pollen,  and  also  in  great  numbers 
on  corn-stalks,  and  on  the  trunks  of  the  locust-tree,   feeding 

*  Scarabceus  Indus  of  Linnaeus,  Cetonia  barbata  of  Say. 


36  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  \TEGETATION. 

upon  the  sweet  sap  of  these  plants.  Fortunate  would  it  be 
for  us  if  they  fed  on  these  only;  but  their  love  of  sweets  leads 
them  to  attack  our  finest  peaches,  which,  as  soon  as  ripe,  they 
begin  to  devom-,  and  in  a  very  few  hours  entirely  spoil.  I  have 
taken  a  dozen  of  them  from  a  single  peach,  into  which  they 
had  burrowed  so  that  nothing  but  the  naked  tips  of  their  hind- 
body  could  be  seen;  and  not  a  ripe  peach  remained  unbitten 
by  them  on  the  tree.  When  touched,  they  leave  a  strong  and 
disagreeable  scent  upon  the  fingers.  On  the  approach  of  cold 
weather  they  disappear,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain 
what  becomes  of  them  at  this  time,  and  only  conjecture  that 
they  get  into  some  warm  and  sheltered  spot,  where  they  pass 
the  winter  in  a  torpid  state,  and  in  the  spring  issue  from  their 
retreats,  and  finish  their  career  by  depositing  their  eggs  for 
another  brood.  Those  that  are  seen  in  the  spring  want  the 
freshness  of  the  autumnal  beetles,  a  circumstance  that  favors 
my  conjecture.  Their  hovering  over  and  occasionally  dropping 
upon  the  surface  of  the  ground,  is  probably  for  the  purpose  of 
selecting  a  suitable  place  to  enter  the  earth  and  lay  their  eggs. 
Hence  I  suppose  that  their  larvae  or  grubs  may  live  on  the 
roots  of  herbaceous  plants. 

The  other  Cetonian  beetle  to  be  described  is  the  Osmoderma 
scaber*  or  rough  Osmoderma.  It  is  a  large  insect,  with  a 
broad  oval  and  flattened  body ;  the  thorax  is  nearly  round,  but 
wider  than  long;  there  are  no  wedge-shaped  pieces  between 
the  corners  of  the  thorax,  and  the  shoulders  of  the  wing-cases, 
and  the  outer  edges  of  the  latter  are  entire.  It  is  of  a  purplish 
black  color,  with  a  coppery  lustre;  the  head  is  punctured, 
concave  or  hollowed  on  the  top,  with  the  edge  of  the  broad 
visor  turned  up  in  the  males,  nearly  flat,  and  with  the  edge  of 
the  visor  not  raised  in  the  females ;  the  wing-cases  are  so  thickly 
and  deeply  and  irregularly  punctured  as  to  appear  almost  as 
rough  as  shagreen ;  the  under  side  of  the  body  is  smooth  and 
without  hairs ;  and  the  legs  are  short  and  stout.  In  addition 
to  the  difTerences  bctAveen  the  sexes  above  described,  it  may  be 
mentioned  that  the  females  are  generally  much  larger  than  the 

*  Trichius  scnber,  Palisot  de  Beauvois  ;   Gymnodus  scaber,  Kirby. 


COLEOPTERA.  37 

males,  and  often  want  the  coppery  polish  of  the  latter.  They 
measure  from  eight  tentiis  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  and  one  tenth 
in  length.  They  are  nocturnal  insects,  and  conceal  themselves 
during  the  day  in  the  crevices  and  hollows  of  trees,  where  they 
feed  upon  the  sap  that  flows  from  the  bark.  They  have  the 
odor  of  Russia  leather,  and  give  this  out  so  powerfully,  that 
their  presence  can  be  detected,  by  the  scent  alone,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  two  or  three  yards  from  the  place  of  their  retreat. 
This  strong  smell  suggested  the  name  Osmodcrma,  that  is 
scented  skin,  given  to  these  beetles  by  the  French  naturalists. 
They  seem  particularly  fond  of  the  juices  of  cherry  and  apple 
trees,  in  the  hollows  of  which  I  have  often  discovered  them. 
Their  larvae  live  in  the  hollows  of  these  same  trees,  feeding 
upon  the  diseased  wood,  and  causing  it  more  rapidly  to  decay. 
They  are  whitish  fleshy  grubs,  with  a  reddish  hard-shelled 
head,  and  closely  resemble  the  grubs  of  the  common  dor-beetle. 
In  the  autumn  each  one  makes  an  oval  cell  or  pod,  of  fragments 
of  wood,  strongly  cemented  with  a  kind  of  glue ;  it  goes  through 
its  transformation  within  this  ceU,  and  comes  forth  in  the  beetle 
form  in  the  month  of  July. 

We  have  another  scented  beetle,  equal  in  size  to  the  pre- 
ceding, of  a  deep  mahogany-brown  color,  perfectly  smooth, 
and  highly  polished,  and  the  male  has  a  deep  pit  before  the 
middle  of  the  thorax.  This  species  of  Osmoderma  is  called 
eremicola*  a  name  that  cannot  be  rendered  literally  into  English 
by  any  single  word;  it  signifies  wilderness-inhabitant,  for  which 
might  be  substituted  hermit.  I  believe  that  this  insect  lives  in 
forest-trees,  but  the  larva  is  unknown  to  me. 

The  family  Lucanid^,  or  Lucanians,  so  named  from  the 
Linnajan  genus  Lucanus,  must  be  placed  next  to  the  Scara- 
baeians  in  a  natural  arrangement.  This  family  includes  the 
insects  called  stag-beetles,  horn-bugs,  and  flying-bulls,  names 
that  they  have  obtained  from  the  great  size  and  peculiar  form 
of  their  upper  jaws,  which  are  sometimes  curved  like  the  horns 
of  cattle,  and  sometimes  branched  like  the  antlers  of  a  stag. 
In  these  beetles  the  body  is  hard,  oblong,  rounded  behind,  and 

*  Cetonia  eremicola  of  Knoch. 


38  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

slightly  convex ;  the  head  is  large  and  broad,  especially  in  the 
males ;  the  thorax  is  short,  and  as  wide  as  the  abdomen ;  the 
antennae  are  rather  long,  elbowed  or  bent  in  the  middle,  and 
composed  of  ten  joints,  the  last  three  or  four  of  which  are 
broad,  leaf-like,  and  project  on  the  inside,  giving  to  this  part 
of  the  antennae  a  resemblance  to  the  end  of  a  key ;  the  upper 
jaws  arc  usually  much  longer  in  the  males  than  in  the  females, 
but  even  those  of  the  latter  extend  considerably  beyond  the 
mouth;  each  of  the  under  jaws  is  provided  with  a  long  hairy 
pencil  or  brush,  which  can  be  seen  projecting  beyond  the  mouth 
between  the  feelers ;  and  the  under  lip  has  two  shorter  pencils 
of  the  same  kind;  the  fore  legs  are  oftentimes  longer  than  the 
others,  with  the  outer  edge  of  the  shanks  notched  into  teeth ; 
the  feet  are  five-jointed,  and  the  nails  are  entire  and  equal. 
These  beetles  fly  abroad  during  the  night,  and  frequently  enter 
houses  at  that  time,  somewhat  to  the  alarm  of  the  occupants ; 
but  they  are  not  venomous,  and  never  attempt  to  bite  without 
provocation.  They  pass  the  day  on  the  trunks  of  trees,  and 
live  upon  the  sap,  for  procuring  which  the  brushes  of  their  jaws 
and  lip  seem  to  be  designed.  They  are  said  also  occasionally 
to  bite  and  seize  caterpillars  and  other  soft-bodied  insects,  for 
the  purpose  of  sucking  out  their  juices.  They  lay  their  eggs 
in  crevices  of  the  bark  of  trees,  especially  near  the  roots,  where 
they  may  sometimes  be  seen  thus  employed.  The  larvae 
hatched  from  these  eggs  resemble  the  grubs  of  the  Scara- 
baeians  in  color  and  form,  but  they  are  smoother,  or  not  so 
much  wrinkled.  The  grubs  of  the  large  kinds  are  said  to  be 
SLx  years  in  coming  to  their  growth,  living  all  this  time  in  the 
trunks  and  roots  of  trees,  boring  into  the  solid  wood,  and 
reducing  it  to  a  substance  resembling  very  coarse  sawdust; 
and  the  injury  thus  caused  by  them  is  frequently  very  consid- 
erable. When  they  have  anived  at  their  full  size,  they  enclose 
themselves  in  egg-shaped  pods,  composed  of  gnawed  particles 
of  wood  and  bark  stuck  together  and  lined  with  a  kind  of  glue ; 
within  these  pods  they  are  transformed  to  pupae,  of  a  yeUowish 
white  color,  having  the  body  and  all  the  limbs  of  the  future 
beetle  encased  in  a  whitish  film,  which  being  thrown  ofl"  in  due 
time,  the  insects  appear  in  the  beetle  form,  burst  the  walls  of 


COLEOPTERA.  39 

their  prison,  crawl  through  the  passages  the  larvae  had  gnawed, 
and  come  forth  on  the  outside  of  the  trees. 

The  largest  of  these  beetles  in  the  New  England  States,  w^as 
first  described  by  Linnaeus  under  the  name  of  Lucarms  Capre- 
olns*  signifying  the  young  roe-buck ;  but  here  it  is  called  the 
horn-bug.  Its  color  is  a  deep  mahogany-brown ;  the  surface  is 
smooth  and  polished;  the  upper  jaws  of  the  male  are  long, 
curved  like  a  sickle,  and  fiu"nished  internally  beyond  the  middle 
with  a  little  tooth ;  those  of  the  female  are  much  shorter,  and 
also  toothed ;  the  head  of  the  male  is  broad  and  smooth,  that 
of  the  other  sex  narrower  and  rough  with  punctures.  The 
body  of  this  beetle  measures  from  one  inch  to  one  inch  and  a 
quarter,  exclusive  of  the  jaws.  The  time  of  its  appearance  is 
in  July  and  the  beginning  of  August.  The  grubs  live  in  the 
trunks  and  roots  of  various  kinds  of  trees,  but  particularly  in 
those  of  old  apple-trees,  willows,  and  oaks.  All  the*  foregoing 
beetles  have,  by  some  naturalists,  been  gathered  into  a  single 
tribe,  called  lamellicorn  or  leaf-horned  beetles,  on  account  of 
the  leaf-hke  joints  wherewith  the  end  of  their  antennae  is  pro- 
vided. 

The  beetles  next  to  be  described,  have  been  brought  together 
into  one  great  tribe,  named  serricorn  or  saw-horned  beetles, 
because  the  tips  of  the  joints  of  their  antennae  usually  project 
more  or  less  on  the  inside,  somewhat  like  the  teeth  of  a  saw. 
The  beetles  belonging  to  the  family  Buprestid.e,  or  the  Bu- 
prestians,  have  antennae  of  this  kind.  The  Buprestis  of  the 
ancients,  as  its  name  signifies  in  Greek,  was  a  poisonous 
insect,  which,  being  swallowed  with  grass  by  grazing  cattle, 
produced  a  violent  inflammation,  and  such  a  degree  of  swelling 
as  to  cause  the  cattle  to  burst.  Linnaeus,  however,  unfortu- 
nately applied  this  name  to  the  insects  of  the  above-mentioned 
family,  none  of  which  are  poisonous  to  animals,  and  are  rarely, 
if  ever,  found  upon  the  grass.  It  is  in  allusion  to  the  original 
signification  of  the  word  Bvprestis,  that  popular  English  writers 
on  natural  history  sometimes  give  the  name  of  burncow  to  the 
harmless  Buprestians ;  while  the  French,  with  greater  propriety 

*  Lucanus  Dama  of  Fabricius. 


40  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

call  them  richards,  on  account  of  the  rich  and  brilliant  colors 
wherewith  many  of  them  are  adorned.  The  Buprestians,  then, 
according  to  the  Linnspan  application  or  rather  misapplication 
of  the  name,  are  hard-shelled  beetles,  often  brilliantly  colored, 
of  an  elliptical  or  oblong  oval  form,  obtuse  before,  tapering 
behind,  and  broader  than  thick,  so  that,  when  cut  in  two  trans- 
versely, the  section  is  oval.  The  head  is  sunk  to  the  eyes  in 
the  fore  part  of  the  thorax ;  and  the  antenna?  are  rather  short, 
and  notched  on  one  side  like  the  teeth  of  a  saw.  The  thorax 
is  broadest  behind,  and  usually  fits  very  closely  to  the  shoulders 
of  the  wing-covers.  The  legs  are  rather  short,  and  the  feet  are 
formed  for  standing  firmly,  rather  than  for  rapid  motion;  the 
soles  being  composed  of  four  rather  wide  joints,  covered  with 
little  spongy  cushions  beneath,  and  terminated  by  a  fifth  joint, 
which  is  armed  with  two  claws.  Most  beetles,  as  already 
stated,  have  a  little  triangular  piece,  called  the  scutel,  wedged 
between  the  bases  of  the  wing-covers  and  the  hinder  part  of 
the  thorax,  commonly  of  a  triangular  or  semicircular  form,  and 
in  the  greater  number  of  coleopterous  insects  quite  conspicu- 
ous; in  the  Buprestians,  however,  the  scutel  is  generally  very 
small,  and  sometimes  hardly  perceptible.  These  beetles  are 
frequently  seen  on  the  trunks  and  limbs  of  trees  basking  in  the 
sun.  They  walk  slowly,  and,  at  the  approach  of  danger,  fold 
up  their  legs  and  antennae  and  fall  to  the  ground.  Being 
furnished  with  ample  wings,  their  flight  is  swift  and  attended 
with  a  whizzing  noise.  They  keep  concealed  in  the  night, 
and  are  in  motion  only  during  the  day. 

The  larvffi  are  wood-eaters  or  borers.  Our  forests  and 
orchards  are  more  or  less  subject  to  their  attacks,  especially 
after  the  trees  have  passed  their  prime.  The  transformations 
of  these  insects  take  place  in  the  trunks  and  limbs  of  ti'ees. 
The  larva)  that  are  known  to  me  have  a  close  resemblance  to 
each  other;  a  general  idea  of  them  can  be  formed  from  a 
description  of  that  which  attacks  the  pig-nut  hickory.  It  is  of 
a  yellowish  white  color,  very  long,  narrow,  and  depressed  in 
form,  but  abruptly  widened  near  the  anterior  extremity.  The 
head  is  brownish,  small,  and  sunk  in  the  fore  part  of  the  first 
segment;  the  upper  jaws  are  provided  with  three  teeth,  and 


COLEOPTERA.  "  41 

are  of  a  black  color;  and  the  antennae  are  very  short.  The 
segment  which  receives  the  head  is  short  and  transverse ;  next 
to  it  is  a  large  oval  segment,  broader  than  long,  and  depressed 
or  flattened  above  and  beneath.  Behind  this,  the  segments 
are  very  much  narrowed,  and  become  gradually  longer;  but 
are  still  flattened,  to  the  last,  which  is  terminated  by  a  rounded 
tubercle  or  wart.  There  are  no  legs,  nor  any  apparatus  which 
can  serve  as  such,  except  two  small  warts  on  the  under  side  of 
the  second  segment  from  the  thorax.  The  motion  of  the  grub 
appears  to  be  effected  by  the  alternate  contractions  and  elon- 
gations of  the  segments,  aided,  perhaps,  by  the  tubercular 
extremity  of  the  body,  and  by  its  jaws,  with  which  it  takes 
hold  of  the  sides  of  its  burrow,  and  thus  draws  itself  along. 
These  grubs  are  found  under  the  bark  and  in  the  solid  wood 
of  trees,  and  sometimes  in  great  numbers.  They  frequently 
rest  with  the  body  bent  sidewise,  so  that  the  head  and  tail 
approach  each  other.  This  posture  those  found  under  bark 
usually  assume.  They  appear  to  pass  several  years  in  the 
larva  state.  The  pupa  bears  a  near  resemblance  to  the  perfect 
insect,  but  is  entirely  white,  until  near  the  time  of  its  last 
transformation.  Its  situation  is  immediately  under  the  bark, 
the  head  being  directed  outwards,  so  that  when  the  pupa-coat 
is  cast  off",  the  beetle  has  merely  a  thin  covering  of  bark  to 
perforate,  before  making  its  escape  from  the  tree.  The  form 
of  this  perforation  is  oval,  as  is  also  a  transverse  section  of  the 
burrow,  that  shape  being  best  adapted  to  the  form,  motions, 
and  egress  of  the  insect. 

Some  of  these  beetles  are  known  to  eat  leaves  and  flowers, 
and  of  this  nature  is  probably  the  food  of  all  of  them.  The 
injury  they  may  thus  commit  is  not  very  apparent,  and  cannot 
bear  any  comparison  with  the  extensive  ravages  of  their  larvse. 
The  solid  trunks  and  limbs  of  sound  and  vigorous  trees  are 
often  bored  through  in  various  directions  by  these  insects, 
which,  during  a  long-continued  life,  derive  their  only  nourish- 
ment from  the  woody  fragments  they  devour.  Pines  and  firs 
seem  particularly  subject  to  their  attacks,  but  other  forest-trees 
do  not  escape,  and  even  fruit-trees  are  frequently  injured  by 
these  borers.  The  means  to  be  used  for  destroying  them  are 
6 


42  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

similar  to  those  employed  against  other  borers,  and  will  be 
explained  in  a  subsequent  part  of  this  essay.  It  may  not  be 
amiss,  however,  here  to  remark,  that  woodpeckers  are  much 
more  successful  in  discovering  the  retreats  of  these  borers,  and 
in  dragging  out  the  defenceless  culprits  from  their  burrows, 
than  the  most  skilful  gardener  or  nurseryman. 

The  largest  of  these  beetles  in  this  part  of  the  United  States 
is  the  Buprestis  ( Chalcophora)  Virginica  of  Drury,  or  Virginian 
Buprestis.  It  is  of  an  oblong  oval  form,  brassy,  or  copper- 
colored;  sometimes  almost  black,  with  hardly  any  metallic 
reflections.  The  upper  side  of  the  body  is  roughly  punctured; 
the  top  of  the  head  is  deeply  indented;  on  the  thorax  there  are 
three  polished  black  elevated  lines ;  on  each  wing-cover  are  two 
small  square  impressed  spots,  a  long  elevated  smooth  black 
line  near  the  outer,  and  another  near  the  inner  margin,  wdth 
several  short  lines  of  the  same  kind  between  them ;  the  under 
side  of  the  body  is  sparingly  covered  with  short  whitish  down. 
It  measures  from  eight  tenths  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  or  more 
in  length.  This  beetle  appears  towards  the  end  of  May,  and 
through  the  month  of  June,  on  pine-trees  and  on  fences.  In 
the  larva  state  it  bores  into  the  trunks  of  the  different  kinds  of 
pines,  and  is  oftentimes  very  injurious  to  these  trees. 

The  wild  cherry-tree  [Prumis  serotina),  and  also  the  garden 
cherry  and  peach  trees,  suffer  severely  from  the  attacks  of  borers, 
which  are  transformed  to  the  beetles  called  Buprestis  {Dicerca) 
divaricata  by  Mr.  Say,  because  the  wing-covers  divaricate  or 
spread  apart  a  little  at  the  tips.  These  beetles  are  copper- 
colored,  sometimes  brassy  above,  and  thickly  covered  with 
little  punctures;  the  thorax  is  slightly  furrowed  in  the  middle; 
the  wing-covers  are  marked  with  numerous  fine  ii-regular  im- 
pressed lines  and  small  oblong  square  elevated  black  spots; 
they  taper  very  much  behind,  and  the  long  and  narrow  tips  are 
blunt-pointed;  the  middle  of  the  breast  is  furrowed;  and  the 
males  have  a  little  tooth  on  the  under  side  of  the  shanks  of  the 
intermediate  legs.  They  measure  from  seven  to  nine  tenths 
of  an  inch.  These  beetles  may  be  found  sunning  themselves 
upon  the  limbs  of  cherry  and  peach  trees  during  the  months 
of  June,  July,  and  August. 


COLEOPTERA.  43 

The  borer  of  the  hickory  has  ahready  been  described.  It  is 
transformed  to  a  beetle  which  appears  to  be  the  Buprestis 
{Dicer ca)  lurida*  of  Fabricius.  It  is  of  a  kirid  or  dull  brassy 
color  above,  bright  copper  beneath,  and  thickly  punctured  all 
over ;  there  are  numerous  iiTegular  impressed  lines,  and  several 
narrow  elevated  black  spots  on  the  wing-covers,  the  tip  of  each 
of  which  ends  with  two  little  points.  It  measures  from  about 
six  to  eight  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  This  kind  of  Buprestis 
appears  during  the  greater  part  of  the  summer  on  the  trunks 
and  limbs  of  the  hickory. 

Bvprestis  ( Chrysohothris)  dentipes^  of  Germar,  so  named 
from  the  little  tooth  on  the  under  side  of  the  thick  fore  legs, 
inhabits  the  trunks  of  oak-trees.  It  completes  its  transforma- 
tions and  comes  out  of  the  trees  between  the  end  of  May  and 
the  first  of  July.  It  is  oblong  oval  and  flattened,  of  a  bronzed 
brownish  or  purplish  black  color  above,  copper-colored  beneath, 
and  rough  Uke  shagreen  with  numerous  punctures ;  the  thorax 
is  not  so  wide  as  the  hinder  part  of  the  body,  its  hinder  margin 
is  hollowed  on  both  sides  to  receive  the  rounded  base  of  each 
wing-cover,  and  there  are  two  smooth  elevated  Knes  on  the 
middle ;  on  each  wing-cover  there  are  three  irregular  smooth 
elevated  lines,  which  are  divided  and  interrupted  by  large 
thickly  punctured  impressed  spots,  iwo  of  which  are  oblique ; 
the  tips  are  rounded.  Length  from  one  half  to  sLx  tenths  of 
an  inch. 

Buprestis  ( Chnjsohothris)  femorata  of  Fabricius  has  the  first 
pair  of  thighs  toothed  beneath,  like  the  preceding,  which  it 
resembles  also  in  its  form  and  general  appearance.  It  is  of  a 
greenish  black  color  above,  with  a  brassy  polish,  which  is  very 
distinct  in  the  two  large  transverse  impressed  spots  on  each 
wing-cover;  and  the  thorax  has  no  smooth  elevated  lines  on  it. 
It  measures  from  four  tenths  to  above  half  of  an  inch  in  length. 
Its  time  of  appearance  is  from  the  end  of  May  to  the  middle 
of  July,  during  which  it  may  often  be  seen,  in  the  middle  of 


*  Buprestis  obscura,  F.,  found  in  the  Middle  and  Soutliern   States,  closely 
resembles  the  lurida. 

t  Buprestis  charaderistica,  Harris.     N.  E.  Farmer,  Vol.  VIII.  p.  2. 


4i  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  day,  resting  upon  or  flying  round  the  trunks  of  white  oak 
trees,  and  recently  cut  timber  of  the  same  kind  of  wood.  I 
ha,ve  repeatedly  taken  it  upon  and  under  the  bark  of  peach-trees 
also.     The  gi-ubs  or  larvae  bore  into  the  trunks  of  these  trees. 

The  Buprestis  (  Chrysobothris)fulvoguttata*  or  tawny  spotted 
Buprestis,  first  described  by  me  in  the  eighth  volume  of  the 
"  New  England  Farmer,"  is  proportionally  shorter  and  more 
convex  than  the  two  foregoing  species.  It  is  black  and  bronzed 
above,  and  brassy  beneath;  the  thorax  is  covered  with  very 
fine  wavy  transverse  lines,  and  is  sometimes  copper-colored; 
the  wing-covers  are  thickly  punctured,  and  on  each  there  are 
three  small  tawny  yellow  spots,  with  sometimes  an  additional 
one  by  the  side  of  the  first  spot;  the  tips  are  rounded,  and  the 
fore  legs  are  not  toothed.  It  varies  very  much  in  size,  measur- 
ing from  about  three  to  four  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  I 
have  taken  this  insect  from  the  trunks  of  the  white  pine  in  the 
month  of  June,  and  have  seen  others  that  were  found  in  the 
Oregon  Territory. 

Professor  Hentz  has  described  a  small  and  broad  beetle 
having  the  form  of  the  above,  under  the  name  of  Buprestis 
(  Chrysohothris)  Harrisii.  It  is  entirely  of  a  brilliant  blue-green 
color,  except  the  sides  of  the  thorax,  and  the  thighs,  which,  in 
the  male,  are  copper-colored.  It  measures  a  little  more  than 
three  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  The  larvae  of  this  species 
inhabit  the  small  limbs  of  the  white  pine,  and  young  sapling 
trees  of  the  same  kind,  upon  which  I  have  repeatedly  captured 
the  beetles  about  the  middle  of  June. 

These  seven  species  form  but  a  very  small  part  of  the 
Buprestians  inhabiting  Massachusetts  and  the  other  New 
England  States.  My  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the  others 
is  not  sufficiently  perfect  to  render  it  worth  while  to  insert 
descriptions  of  them  here.  The  concealed  situation  of  the 
grubs  of  these  beetles,  in  the  trunks  and  limbs  of  trees,  renders 
it  very  difficult  to  discover  and  dislodge  them.     When  trees 


*  Mr.  Kirby  has  redcscribed  and  figured  this  insect  under  the  name  of 
Buprestis  (^Trachy2)teris)  DrummoncU,  in  the  fourth  volume  of  the  "Fauna 
Boreali- Americana.' ' 


COLEOPTERA.  45 

are  found  to  be  very  much  infested  by  them,  and  aie  going  to 
decay  in  consequence  of  the  ravages  of  these  borers,  it  will  be 
better  to  cut  them  down,  and  burn  them  immediately,  rather 
than  to  suffer  them  to  stand  until  the  borers  have  completed 
their  transformations  and  made  their  escape. 

Closely  related  to  the  Buprestians  are  the  Elaters,  or  spring- 
beetles  (Elaterid.e),  which  are  well  known  by  the  faculty 
they  have  of  throwing  themselves  upwards  with  a  jerk,  when 
laid  on  their  backs.  On  the  under  side  of  the  breast,  between 
the  bases  of  the  first  pair  of  legs,  there  is  a  short  blunt  spine, 
the  point  of  which  is  usually  concealed  in  a  corresponding 
cavity  behind  it.  When  the  insect,  by  any  accident,  falls  upon 
its  back,  its  legs  are  so  short,  and  its  back  is  so  convex,  that  it 
is  unable  to  turn  itself  over.  It  then  folds  its  legs  close  to  its 
body,  bends  back  the  head  and  thorax,  and  thus  unsheaths  its 
breast-spine;  then  by  suddenly  straightening  its  body,  the 
point  of  the  spine  is  made  to  strike  with  force  upon  the  edge 
of  the  sheath,  which  gives  it  the  power  of  a  spring,  and  reacts 
on  the  body  of  the  insect,  so  as  to  throw  it  perpendicularly 
into  the  air.  When  it  again  falls,  if  it  does  not  come  down 
upon  its  feet,  it  repeats  its  exertions  until  its  object  is  eflected. 
In  these  beetles  the  body  is  of  a  hard  consistence,  and  is  usually 
rather  narrow  and  tapering  behind.  The  head  is  sunk  to  the 
eyes  in  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax ;  the  antennae  are  of  moderate 
length,  and  more  or  less  notched  on  the  inside  like  a  saw.  The 
thorax  is  as  broad  at  the  base  as  the  wing-covers ;  it  is  usually 
rounded  before,  and  the  hinder  angles  are  sharp  and  prominent. 
The  scutel  is  of  moderate  size.  The  legs  are  rather  short  and 
slender,  and  the  feet  are  five-jointed. 

The  larvae  or  grubs  of  the  Elaters  live  upon  wood  and  roots, 
and  are  often  very, injurious  to  vegetation.  Some  are  confined 
to  old  or  decaying  trees,  others  devour  the  roots  of  herbaceous 
plants.  In  England  they  are  called  wire-worms,  from  their 
slenderness  and  uncommon  hardness.  They  are  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  American  wire-worm,  a  species  of  lulus, 
which  is  not  a  true  insect,  but  belongs  to  the  class  Myriapoda, 
a  name  derived  from  the  great  number  of  feet  with  which 
most  of  the  animals  included  in  it  are  furnished ;  whereas  the 


4f  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

English  wre-worm  has  only  six  feet.  The  European  wire- 
worm  is  said  to  live,  in  its  feeding  or  larva  state,  not  less  than 
five  years ;  during  the  greater  part  of  which  time  it  is  supported 
by  devouring  the  roots  of  wheat,  rye,  oats,  and  grass,  annually 
causing  a  large  diminution  of  the  produce,  and  sometimes 
destroying  whole  crops.  It  is  said  to  be  particularly  injurious 
in  gardens  recently  converted  from  pasture  lands.  We  have 
several  grubs  allied  to  this  destructive  insect,  which  are  quite 
common  in  land  newly  broken  up ;  but  fortunately,  as  yet, 
their  ravages  are  inconsiderable.  We  may  expect  these  to 
increase  in  proportion  as  we  disturb  them  and  deprive  them  of 
their  usual  articles  of  food,  while  we  continue  also  to  persecute 
and  destroy  their  natural  enemies,  the  birds,  and  may  then  be 
obliged  to  resort  to  the  ingenious  method  adopted  by  European 
farmers  and  gardeners  for  alluring  and  capturing  these  grubs. 
This  method  consists  in  strewing  sliced  potatoes  or  turnips 
in  rows  through  the  garden  or  field;  women  and  boys  are 
employed  to  examine  the  slices  every  morning,  and  collect  the 
insects  which  readily  come  to  feed  upon  the  bait.  Some  of 
these  destructive  insects,  which  I  have  found  in  the  ground 
among  the  roots  of  plants,  were  long,  slender,  worm-like  grubs, 
closely  resembling  the  common  meal-worm ;  they  were  nearly 
cylindrical,  with  a  hard  and  smooth  skin,  of  a  buff"  or  brownish 
yeUow  color,  the  head  and  tail  only  being  a  little  darker ;  each 
of  the  first  three  rings  was  provided  with  a  pair  of  short  legs ; 
the  hindmost  ring  was  longer  than  the  preceding  one,  was 
pointed  at  the  end,  and  had  a  little  pit  on  each  side  of  the 
extremity;  beneath  this  part  there  was  a  short  retractile  wart, 
or  prop-leg,  serving  to  support  the  extremity  of  the  body,  and 
prevent  it  from  trailing  on  the  ground.  Other  grubs  of  Elaters 
differ  from  the  foregoing  in  being  proportiqnally  broader,  not 
cylindrical,  but  somewhat  flattened,  with  a  deep  notch  at  the 
extremity  of  the  last  ring,  the  sides  of  which  are  beset  with 
little  teeth.  Such  grubs  are  mostly  wood-eaters,  devouring 
the  woody  parts  of  roots,  or  living  under  the  bark  and  in  the 
trunks  of  old  trees. 

After   their   last   transformation,  Elaters    or   spring-beetles 
make  their  appearance  upon  trees  and  fences,  and  some  are 


COLEOPTERA.  47 

found  on  flowers.  They  creep  slowly,  and  generally,  fail  to  the 
ground  on  being  touched.  They  fly  botli  by  day  and  niglit. 
Their  food,  in  the  beetle  states,  appears  to  be  chiefly  derived 
from  flowers ;  but  some  devour  the  tender  leaves  of  plants. 

The  largest  of  our  spring-beetles  is  the  Elater  (Alans)  ociila- 
tus,  of  Linnaeus.  It  is  of  a  black  color;  the  thorax  is  oblong 
square,  and  nearly  one  third  the  length  of  the  whole  body, 
covered  above  with  a  whitish  powder,  and  with  a  large  oval 
velvet-black  spot,  like  an  eye,  on  each  side  of  the  middle,  from 
which  the  insect  derives  its  name  oculatus,  or  eyed;  the  wing- 
covers  are  marked  with  slender  longitudinal  impressed  lines, 
and  are  sprinkled  with  numerous  white  dots ;  the  under  side  of 
the  body,  and  the  legs,  are  covered  with  a  white  mealy  powder. 
This  large  beetle  measures  from  one  inch  and  a  quarter  to  one 
inch  and  three  quarters  in  length.  It  is  found  on  trees,  fences, 
and  the  sides  of  buildings,  in  June  and  July.  It  undergoes  its 
transformations  in  the  trunks  of  trees.  I  have  found  many  of 
them  in  old  apple-trees,  together  with  their  larvae,  which  eat 
the  wood,  and  from  which  I  subsequently  obtained  the  insects 
in  the  beetle  state.  These  larvae  are  reddish  yellow  grubs, 
proportionally  much  broader  than  the  other  kinds,  and  very 
much  flattened.  One  of  them,  which  was  found  fully  grown 
early  in  April,  measured  t^vo  inches  and  a  half  in  length,  and 
nearly  four  tenths  of  an  inch  across  the  middle  of  the  body, 
and  was  not  much  narrowed  at  either  extremity.  The  head 
was  broad,  brownish,  and  rough  above;  the  upper  jaws  or 
nippers  were  very  strong,  curved,  and  pointed;  the  eyes  were 
small  and  two  in  number,  one  being  placed  at  the  base  of  each 
of  the  short  antennae ;  the  last  segment  of  the  body  was  black- 
ish, rough  with  little  sharp-pointed  warts,  with  a  deep  semicir- 
cular notch  at  the  end,  and  furnished  around  the  sides  with 
little  teeth,  the  two  hindmost  of  which  were  long,  forked,  and 
curved  upwards  like  hooks ;  under  this  segment  was  a  large 
retractile  fleshy  prop-foot,  armed  behind  with  little  claws,  and 
around  the  sides  with  short  spines;  the  true  legs  were  six,  a 
pair  to  each  of  the  first  three  rings ;  and  were  tipped  with  a 
single  claw.  Soon  after  this  grub  was  found  it  cast  its  skin 
and  became  a  pupa,  and  in  due  time  the  latter  w^as  transformed 
to  a  beetle. 


48  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Elater  {Pyrophoriis)  noctihtcus,  the  night-shining  Elater,  is 
the  celebrated  cvcuio  or  fire-beetle  of  the  West  Indies,  from 
whence  it  is  frequently  brought  alive  to  this  countiy.  It 
resembles  the  preceding  insect  somewhat  in  form,  and  is  an 
inch  or  more  in  length.  It  gives  out  a  strong  light  from  t^vo 
transparent  eye-like  spots  on  the  thorax,  and  from  the  segments 
of  its  body  beneath.  It  eats  the  pulpy  substance  of  the  sugar- 
cane, and  its  grub  is  said  to  be  very  injurious  to  this  plant,  by 
devouring  its  roots. 

The  next  t^vo  common  Elaters,  together  with  several  other 
species,  are  distinguished  by  their  claws,  which  resemble  little 
combs,  being  furnished  with  a  row  of  fine  teeth  along  the 
under  side.  The  thorax  is  short  and  rounded  before,  and  the 
body  tapers  behind.  They  are  found  under  the  bark  of  trees, 
where  they  pass  the  winter,  having  completed  their  transfor- 
mations in  the  previous  autumn.  Their  grubs  live  in  wood. 
The  first  of  these  beetles  is  the  ash-colored  Elater,  Elater 
[Melanotus)  cinerevs  of  Weber.  It  is  about  six  tenths  of  an 
inch  long,  and  is  dark  brown,  but  covered  with  short  gray  hairs, 
which  give  it  an  ashen  hue;  the  thorax  is  convex;  and  the 
wing-covers  are  marked  with  lines  of  punctures,  resembling 
stitches.  It  is  found  on  fences,  the  trunks  of  trees,  and  in 
paths,  in  April  and  May. 

Elater  {Melanotus)  communis  of  Schonherr,  is,  as  its  name 
implies,  an  exceedingly  common  and  abundant  species.  It 
closely  resembles  the  preceding,  but  is  smaller,  seldom  exceed- 
ing half  an  inch  in  length;  it  is  also  rather  lighter  colored;  the 
thorax  is  proportionally  a  little  longer,  not  so  convex,  and  has 
a  slender  longitudinal  furrow  in  the  middle.  This  Elater 
appears  in  the  same  places  as  the  cinereus  in  April,  May,  and 
June ;  and  the  recently  transformed  beetles  can  also  be  found 
in  the  autumn  under  the  bark  of  trees,  where  they  pass  the 
winter. 

Another  kind  of  spring-beetle,  which  absolutely  swarms  in 
paths  and  among  the  gi-ass  during  the  warmest  and  brightest 
days  in  April  and  May,  is  the  Elater  [Liidius)  appressifrons  of 
Say.  Its  specific  name  probably  refers  to  the  front  of  the  head 
or  visor  being  pressed  downwards  over  the  lip.     The  body  is 


COLEOPTERA.  49 

slender  and  almost  cylindrical,  of  a  deep  chestnut-brown  color, 
rendered  gray,  however,  by  the  numerous  short  yellowish  hairs 
with  which  it  is  covered;  the  thorax  is  of  moderate  length, 
not  much  narrowed  before,  convex  above,  with  very  long  and 
sharp-pointed  hinder  angles,  and  in  certain  lights  has  a  brassy 
hue ;  the  wing-covers  are  finely  punctured,  and  have  very  slen- 
der impressed  longitudinal  lines  upon  them ;  the  claws  are  not 
toothed  beneath.  This  beetle  usually  measures  from  four  to 
five  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length ;  but  the  females  frequently 
greatly  exceed  these  dimensions,  and,  being  much  more  robust, 
with  a  more  convex  thorax,  were  supposed  by  Mr.  Say  to 
belong  to  a  different  species,  named  by  him  brevicornis,  the 
short-horned.  The  larvsB  are  not  yet  known  to  me ;  but  I  have 
strong  reasons  for  thinking  that  they  live  in  the  ground  upon 
the  roots  of  the  perennial  grasses  and  other  herbaceous  plants. 

Although  above  sLxty  different  kinds  of  spring-beetles  are 
now  known  to  inhabit  Massachusetts,  I  shall  add  to  the  fore- 
going a  description  of  only  one  more  species.  This  is  the 
Elater  (Ag-riotes)  obesns  of  Say.  It  is  a  short  and  thick  beetle, 
as  the  specific  name  implies ;  its  real  color  is  a  dark  brown,  but 
it  is  covered  with  dirty  yellowish  gray  hairs,  which  on  the 
wing-covers  are  arranged  in  longitudinal  stripes;  the  head  and 
thorax  are  thickly  punctured,  and  the  wing-covers  are  punc- 
tured in  rows.  Its  lenarth  is  about  three  tenths  of  an  inch. 
This  beetle  closely  resembles  one  of  the  kinds,  which,  in  the 
grub  state,  is  called  the  wire-worm  in  Eiuope,  and  possibly  it 
may  be  the  same.  This  circumstance  should  put  us  on  om* 
guard  against  its  depredations.  It  is  found  in  April,  May,  and 
June,  among  the  roots  of  grass,  on  the  under  side  of  boards 
and  rails  on  the  ground,  and  sometimes  also  on  fences. 

The  utility  of  a  knowledge  of  the  natural  history  of  insects 
in  the  practical  arts  of  life,  was  never  more  strikingly  and 
triumphantly  proved  than  by  Linnaeus  himself,  who,  while 
giving  to  natiural  science  its  language  and  its  laws,  neglected 
no  opportunity  to  point  out  its  economical  advantages.*     On 

*  See  the  preface  to  Smith's   "  latroduction  to  Botany,"   and  Pulteney's 
"  Yiew  of  the  Writings  of  Linnaeus,"  for  several  examples,  one  of  which  it 

7 


50  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

one  occasion  this  great  naturalist  was  consulted  by  the  King 
of  Sweden  upon  the  cause  of  the  decay  and  destruction  of 
the  ship-timber  in  the  royal  dock-yards,  and,  having  traced  it 
to  the  depredations  of  insects,  and  ascertained  the  history  of 
the  depredators,  by  directing  the  timber  to  be  sunk  under 
water  during  the  season  when  these  insects  made  then*  ap- 
pearance in  the  winged  state,  and  were  busied  in  laying  their 
eggs,  he  effectually  secured  it  from  future  attacks.  The  name 
of  these  insects  is  Lymexylon  navale^  the  naval  timber-destroyer. 
They  have  since  increased  to  an  alarming  extent  in  some  of 
the  dockyards  of  France,  and  in  one  of  them,  at  least,  have 
become  very  injm-ious,  whoUy  in  consequence  of  the  neglect 
of  seasonable  advice  given  by  a  naval  officer,  who  was  also 
an  entomologist,  and  pointed  out  the  source  of  the  injury, 
together  with  the  remedy  to  be  applied. 

These  destructive  insects  belong  to  a  family  called  Lymexyl- 
iD^j  which  may  be  rendered  timber-beetles.  They  cannot  be 
far  removed  from  the  Buprestians  and  the  spring-beetles  in  a 
natural  arrangement.  From  the  latter,  however,  the  insects  of 
this  small  group  are  distinguished  by  having  the  head  broad 
before,  narrowed  behind,  and  not  sunk  into  the  thorax;  they 
have  not  the  breast-spine  of  the  Elaters,  and  their  legs  are 
close  together,  and  not  separated  from  each  other  by  a  broad 
breast-bone  as  in  the  Buprestians;  and  the  hip-joints  are  long, 
and  not  sunk  into  the  breast.  In  the  principal  insects  of  this 
family  the  antennae  are  short,  and,  from  the  third  joint,  flat- 
tened, widened,  and  saw-toothed  on  the  inside;  and  the  jaw- 
feelers  of  the  males  have  a  singular  fringed  piece  attached  to 
them.  The  body  is  long,  narrow,  nearly  cylindrical,  and  not 
so  firm  and  hard  as  in  the  Elaters.  The  feet  are  five-jointed, 
long,  and  slender. 

The  larvae  of  Lymexylon  and  Hylecoctus  arc  very  odd-looking, 
long,  and  slender  grubs.     The  head  is  small ;  the  first  ring  is 

may  not  be  amiss  to  mention  here.  Linnaeus  was  the  first  to  point  out  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  employing  the  Arundo  arcnaria,  or  beach-grass, 
in  fixing  the  sands  of  the  shore,  and  thereby  preventing  the  encroachments  of 
the  sea.  The  Dutch  have  long  availed  themselves  of  his  suggestion,  and  its 
utility  has  been  tested  to  some  extent  in  Massachusetts. 


4 

COLEOPTERA.  51 

very  much  hunched ;  and  on  the  top  of  the  last  ring  there  is  a 
fleshy  appendage,  resembling  a  leaf  in  Lymexylon,  and  like  a 
straight  horn  in  HijlecfBtus.  They  have  six  short  legs  near  the 
head.  These  grubs  inhabit  oak-trees,  and  make  long  cylindrical 
burrows  in  the  solid  wood.  They  are  also  found  in  some  other 
kinds  of  trees. 

Only  a  few  native  insects  of  this  family  are  known  to  me, 
and  these  fortunately  seem  to  be  rare  in  New  England.  I 
shall  describe  only  two  of  them.  The  first  was  obtained  by 
beating  the  limbs  of  some  forest-tree.  It  may  be  called 
Lymexijlon  sericeum,  the  silky  timber-beetle.  It  is  of  a  chest- 
nut-brown color  above,  and  covered  with  very  short  shining 
yellowish  hairs,  which  give  it  a  silky  lustre.  The  head  is 
bowed  down  beneath  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax;  the  eyes  are 
very  large,  and  almost  meet  above  and  below;  the  antennae 
are  brownish  red,  widened  and  compressed  from  the  fourth  to 
the  last  joint  inclusive ;  the  thorax  is  longer  than  wide,  rounded 
before,  convex  above,  and  deeply  indented  on  each  side  of  the 
base ;  the  wing-covers  are  convex,  gradually  taper  behind,  and 
do  not  cover  the  tip  of  the  abdomen;  the  under  side  of  the 
body,  and  the  legs,  are  brownish  red.  Its  length  is  from  four 
to  six  tenths  of  an  inch.  This  insect  was  unknown  to  Mr. 
Say,  and  does  not  seem  to  have  been  described  before. 

The  generical  name  HyleccBtus,  given  to  some  insects  of  this 
family,  means  a  sleeper  in  the  woods,  or  one  who  makes  his 
bed  in  the  forest.  We  have  one  hitherto  undescribed  species, 
which  may  be  called  Hyleccetus  Americanus,  the  American 
timber-beetle.  Its  head,  thorax,  abdomen,  and  legs  are  light 
brownish  red;  the  Aving-covers,  except  at  the  base  where  they 
are  also  red,  and  the  breast,  between  the  middle  and  hindmost 
legs,  are  black.  The  head  is  not  bowed  down  under  the  fore 
part  of  the  thorax;  the  eyes  are  small  and  black,  and  on  the 
middle  of  the  forehead  there  is  one  small  reddish  eyelet,  a 
character  unusual  among  beetles,  very  few  of  \vhich  have  eye- 
lets ;  the  antenuEE  resemble  those  of  Lymexylon  sericeitm,  but 
are  shorter;  the  thorax  is  nearly  square,  but  wider  than  long; 
and  on  each  wing-cover  there  are  three  slightly  elevated  longi- 


58  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

tudinal  lines  or  ribs.     This  beetle  is  about  four  tenths  of  an 
inch  long.     It  appears  on  the  wing  in  July. 


The  foregoing  beetles,  though  (differing  much  in  form  and 
habits,  possess  one  character  in  common;  namely,  their  feet 
are  five-jointed.  Those  that  follow  have  four-jointed  feet.  In 
this  great  section  of  Coleopterous  insects  are  arranged  the 
Weevil  tribe,  the  Capricorn  beetles  or  long-horned  borers,  and 
various  kinds  of  leaf-eating  beetles,  all  of  which  are  exceed- 
ingly injurious  to  vegetation. 

So  great  is  the  extent  of  the  Weevil  tribe,*  and  so  imper- 
fectly known  is  the  history  of  a  large  part  of  our  native  species, 
that  I  shall  be  obliged  to  confine  myself  to  an  account  of  a 
few  only  of  the  most  remarkable  weevils,  and  principally  those 
that  have  become  most  known  for  their  depredations.  Mr. 
Kollar's  excellent  "  Treatise  on  Insects  injurious  to  Gardeners, 
Foresters,  and  Farmers,"  contains  an  account  of  several  kinds 
of  weevils  that  are  unknown  in  this  country ;  and  indeed  but 
few  resembling  them  have  hitherto  been  discovered  here. 
Should  future  observations  lead  to  the  detection  in  om-  gar- 
dens and  orchards  of  any  like  those  which  in  Em-ope  attack 
the  vine,  the  plum,  the  apple,  the  pear,  and  the  leaves  and 
stems  of  fruit-trees,  the  work  of  Mr.  KoUar  may  be  consulted 
with  great  advantage. 

Weevils,  in  the  winged  state,  are  hard-shelled  beetles,  and 
are  distinguished  from  other  insects  by  having  the  fore  part  of 
the  head  prolonged  into  a  broad  muzzle  or  a  longer  and  more 
slender  snout,  in  the  end  of  which  the  opening  of  the  mouth 
and  the  small  horny  jaws  are  placed.  The  flics  and  moths 
produced  from  certain  young  insects,  called  weevils  by  mistake, 
do  not  possess  these  characters,  and  their  larvae  or  young  differ 
essentially  from  those  of  the  true  weevils.  The  latter  belong 
to  a  group  called  Rhynchophoridje,  literally,  snout-bearers. 
These  beetles  are  mostly  of  small  size.     Their  antennse  are 

*  See  page  18. 


COLEOPTERA.  53 

usually  knobbed  at  the  end,  and  are  situated  on  the  muzzle  or 
snout,  on  each  side  of  which  there  is  generally  a  short  groove 
to  receive  the  base  of  the  antennas  Vi^hen  the  latter  are  turned 
backwards.  Their  feelers  are  very  small,  and,  in  most  kinds, 
are  concealed  within  the  mouth.  The  abdomen  is  often  of  an 
oval  form,  and  wider  than  the  thorax.  The  legs  are  short,  not 
fitted  for  running  or  digging,  and  the  soles  of  the  feet  are  short 
and  flattened.  These  beetles  are  often  very  hurtful  to  plants, 
by  boring  into  the  leaves,  bark,  bvids,  fruit,  and  seeds,  and 
feeding  upon  the  soft  substance  therein  contained.  They  are 
diurnal  insects,  and  love  to  come  out  of  their  retreats  and 
enjoy  the  sunshine.  Some  of  them  fly  well ;  but  others  have 
no  wings,  or  only  very  short  ones,  under  the  wing-cases,  and 
are  therefore  unable  to  fly.  They  walk  slowly,  and  being  of  a 
timid  nature,  and  without  the  means  of  defence,  when  alarmed 
they  turn  back  their  antennae  under  the  snout,  fold  up  their 
legs,  and  fall  from  the  plants  on  which  they  live.  They  make 
use  of  their  snouts  not  only  in  feeding,  but  in  boring  holes, 
into  which  they  afterwards  drop  their  eggs. 

The  young  of  these  snout-beetles  are  mostly  short  fleshy 
grubs,  of  a  whitish  color,  and  without  legs.  The  covering  of 
their-  heads  is  a  hard  shell,  and  the  rings  of  their  bodies  are 
very  convex  or  hunched,  by  both  of  which  characters  they  are 
easily  distinguished  from  the  maggots  of  flies.  Their  jaws  are 
strong  and  horny,  and  with  them  they  gnaw  those  parts  of 
plants  which  serve  for  their  food.  ■  It  is  in  the  grub  state  that 
weevils  are  most  injurious  to  vegetation.  Some  of  them  bore 
into  and  spoil  fruits,  grain,  and  seeds ;  some  attack  the  leaves 
and  stems  of  plants,  causing  them  to  swell  and  become  can- 
kered ;  while  others  penetrate  into  the  solid  wood,  interrupt 
the  course  of  the  sap,  and  occasion  the  branch  above  the  seat 
of  attack  to  wither  and  die.  Most  of  these  grubs  are  trans- 
formed within  the  vegetable  substances  upon  which  they  have 
lived ;  some,  however,  when  fuUy  grown,  go  into  the  ground, 
where  they  are  changed  to  pupae,  and  afterwards  to  beetles. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  we  often  find,  among  seed-pease, 
many  that  have  holes  in  them;  and,  if  the  pease  have  not  been 
exposed  to  the  light  and  air,  we  see  a  little  insect  peeping  out 


54  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  each  of  these  holes,  and  waiting  apparently  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  come  forth  and  make  its  escape.  If  we  turn  out  the 
creature  from  its  cell,  we  perceive  it  to  be  a  small  oval  beetle, 
rather  more  than  one  tenth  of  an  inch  long,  of  a  rusty  black 
color,  with  a  white  spot  on  the  hinder  part  of  the  thorax,  four 
or  five  white  dots  behind  the  middle  of  each  wing-cover,  and 
a  white  spot,  shaped  like  the  letter  T,  on  the  exposed  extremity 
of  the  body.  This  little  insect  is  the  Bruchus  Pisi  of  Linnseus, 
the  pea-Eruchus,  or  pea-weevil,  but  is  better  known  in  America 
by  the  incorrect  name  of  pea-bug.  The  original  meaning  of 
the  word  Bruchus  is  a  devourer,  and  the  insects  to  which  it  is 
applied  well  deserve  this  name,  for,  in  the  larva  state,  they 
devoiu-  the  interior  of  seeds,  often  leaving  but  little  more  than 
the  hull  untouched.  They  belong  to  a  family  of  the  great 
weevil  tribe  called  Bruchid^,  and  are  distinguished  from  other 
weevils  by  the  following  characters.  The  body  is  oval,  and 
slightly  convex ;  the  head  is  bent  downwards,  so  that  the  broad 
muzzle,  when  the  insects  are  not  eating,  rests  upon  the  breast; 
the  antennfE  are  short,  straight,  and  saw-toothed  within,  and 
are  inserted  close  to  a  deep  notch  in  each  of  the  eyes;  the 
feelers,  though  very  small,  are  visible ;  the  wing-cases  do  not 
cover  the  end  of  the  abdomen ;  and  the  hindmost  thighs  are 
very  thick,  and  often  notched  or  toothed  on  the  under  side,  as 
is  the  case  in  the  pea-weevil.  The  habits  of  the  Bruchians 
and  their  larvsB  are  similar  to  those  of  the  pea-weevil,  which 
remain  to  be  described.  It  may  be  well,  however,  to  state 
here  that  these  beetles  frequent  the  leguminous  or  pod-bearing 
plants,  such  as  the  pea,  Gleditsia,  Robinia,  Mimosa,  Cassia, 
&c.,  drn-ing  and  immediately  after  the  flowering  season;  they 
wound  the  skin  of  the  tender  pods  of  these  plants,  and  lay 
their  eggs  singly  in  the  wounds.  Each  of  the  little  maggot- 
like grubs,  hatched  therefrom,  perforates  the  pod  and  enters  a 
seed,  the  pulp  of  which  suffices  for  its  food  till  fully  grown. 

Few  persons  while  indulging  in  the  luxury  of  early  green 
pease  are  aware  how  many  insects  they  unconsciously  swallow. 
When  the  pods  are  carefully  examined,  small,  discolored  spots 
may  be  seen  within  them,  each  one  corresponding  to  a  similar 
spot  on  the  opposite  pea.     K  this  spot  in  the  pea  be  opened,  a 


COLEOPTERA.  55 

minute  whitish  grub,  destitute  of  feet,  will  be  found  therein. 
It  is  the  weevil  in  its  larva  form,  which  lives  upon  the  marrow 
of  the  pea,  and  arrives  at  its  full  size  by  the  time  that  the  pea 
becomes  dry.  This  larva  or  grub  then  bores  a  round  hole  from 
the  hollow  in  the  centre  of  the  pea  quite  to  the  hull,  but  leaves 
the  latter  and  generally  the  germ  of  the  future  sprout  un- 
touched. Hence  these  buggy  pease,  as  they  are  called  by 
seedsmen  and  gardeners,  will  frequently  sprout  and  grow  when 
planted.  The  grub  is  changed  to  a  pupa  within  its  hole  in 
the  pea  in  the  autumn,  and  before  the  spring  casts  its  skin 
again,  becomes  a  beetle,  and  gnaws  a  hole  through  the  thin 
hull  in  order  to  make  its  escape  into  the  air,  which  frequently 
does  not  happen  before  the  pease  are  planted  for  an  early  crop. 
After  the  pea-vines  have  flowered,  and  while  the  pods  are 
young  and  tender,  and  the  pease  within  them  are  just  begin- 
ning to  swell,  the  beetles  gather  upon  them,  and  deposit  their 
tiny  eggs  singly  in  the  punctures  or  wounds  which  they  make 
upon  the  surface  of  the  pods.  This  is  done  mostly  during  the 
night,  or  in  cloudy  weather.  The  grubs,  as  soon  as  they  are 
hatched,  penetrate  the  pod  and  bury  themselves  in  the  opposite 
pease ;  and  the  holes  through  which  they  pass  into  the  seeds 
are  so  fine  as  hardly  to  be  perceived,  and  are  soon  closed. 
Sometimes  every  pea  in  a  pod  will  be  found  to  contain  a 
weevil-grub ;  and  so  great  has  been  the  injury  to  the  crop,  in 
some  parts  of  the  country,  that  the  inhabitants  have  been 
obliged  to  give  up  the  cultivation  of  this  vegetable.*  These 
insects  diminish  the  weight  of  the  pease  in  which  they  lodge 
nearly  one  half,  and  their  leavings  are  fit  only  for  the  food  of 
swine.  This  occasions  a  great  loss,  where  pease  are  raised  for 
feeding  stock  or  for  family  use,  as  they  are  in  many  places. 
Those  persons  who  eat  whole  pease  in  the  winter  after  they 
are  raised,  run  the  risk  of  eating  the  weevils  also;  but  if  the 
pease  are  kept  till  they  are  a  year  old,  the  insects  will  entirely 
leave  them.f 


*  See  Kalm's  Travels.     8vo.  Warrington.     1770.     Vol.  I.  p.  173. 
t  See  the  Boston  Cultivator  for  July  1, 1848,  for  an  interesting  account  of  the 
habits  of  these  insects,  by  Mr.  S.  Deane. 


66  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  pea-weevil  is  supposed  to  be  a  native  of  the  United 
States.  It  seems  to  have  been  first  noticed  in  Pennsylvania, 
many  years  ago;  and  has  gradually  spread  from  thence  to 
New  Jersey,  New  York,  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  and  Mas- 
sachusetts. It  is  yet  rare  in  New  Hampshu-e,  and  1  believe 
has  not  appeared  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Maine.  It  is  unknown 
in  the  North  of  Europe,  as  we  learn  from  the  interesting  ac- 
count given  of  it  by  Kalni,  the  Swedish  traveller,  who  tells  us 
of  the  fear  witii  which  he  was  filled,  on  finding  some  of  these 
weevils  in  a  parcel  of  pease  which  he  had  carried  home  from 
America,  having  in  view  the  whole  damage  which  his  beloved 
country  would  have  suffered,  if  only  two  or  three  of  these 
noxious  insects  had  escaped  him.  They  are  now  common  in 
the  South  of  Europe  and  in  England,  whither  they  may  have 
been  carried  from  this  country.  As  the  cultivated  pea  was 
not  originally  a  native  of  America,  it  woidd  be  interesting  to 
ascertain  what  plants  the  pea-weevil  formerly  inhabited.  That 
it  should  have  preferred  the  prolific  exotic  pea  to  any  of  our 
indigenous  and  less  productive  pulse,  is  not  a  matter  of  sur- 
prise, analogous  facts  being  of  common  occurrence;  but  that, 
for  so  many  years,  a  rational  method  for  checking  its  ravages 
should  not  have  been  practised,  is  somewhat  remarkable.  An 
exceedingly  simple  one  is  recommended  by  Deane,  but  to  be 
successful  it  should  be  universally  adopted.  It  consists  merely 
in  keeping  seed-pease  in  tight  vessels  over  one  year  before 
planting  them.  Latreille  and  others  recommend  putting  them, 
just  before  they  are  to  be  j)lanted,  into  hot  water  for  a  minute 
or  two,  by  which  means  the  weevils  will  be  killed,  and  the 
sprouting  of  the  pease  will  be  quickened.  The  insect  is 
limited  to  a  certain  period  for  depositing  its  eggs ;  late  sown 
pease  therefore  escape  its  attacks.  The  late  Colonel  Pickering 
observed  that  those  sown  in  Pennsylvania  as  late  as  the  twen- 
tieth of  May,  were  entirely  free  from  weevils;  and  Colonel 
Worthington,  of  Rensselaer  county.  New  York,  who  sowed 
his  pease  on  the  tenth  of  June,  six  years  in  succession,  never 
found  an  insect  in  them  during  that  period. 

The  crow  black-bird  is  said  to  devour  great  numbers  of  the 
beetles  in  the  spring;  and  the  Baltimore  oriole  or  hang-bird 


COLEOPTERA.  57 

splits  open  the  green  pods  for  the  sake  of  the  grubs  contained 
in  the  pease,  thereby  contributing  greatly  to  prevent  the  increase 
of  these  noxious  insects.  The  instinct  that  enables  this  beau- 
tiful bird  to  detect  the  lurking  grub,  concealed  as  the  latter  is, 
within  the  pod  and  the  hull  of  the  pea,  is  worthy  our  highest 
admiration;  and  the  goodness  of  Providence,  which  has  en- 
dowed it  with  this  faculty,  is  still  further  shown  in  the  economy 
of  the  insects  also,  which,  through  His  prospective  care,  are 
not  only  limited  in  the  season  of  their  depredations,  but  are 
instinctively  taught  to  spare  the  germs  of  the  pease,  thereby 
securing  a  succession  of  crops  for  our  benefit  and  that  of  their 
own  progeny. 

The  Attelabians  (Attelabid.e)  are  distinguished  from  the 
Bruchians  by  the  form  and  greater  length  of  the  head,  which 
is  a  little  inclined,  and  ends  with  a  snout,  sometimes  short  and 
thick,  and  sometimes  long,  slender,  and  cm'ved.  The  eyes  also 
are  round  and  entire ;  and  the  antennae  are  usually  implanted 
near  the  middle  of  the  snout.  The  larva  resemble  those  of 
most  of  the  snout-beetles,  being  short,  thick,  whitish  grubs, 
with  horny  heads,  the  rings  of  the  body  very  much  hunched, 
and  deprived  of  legs,  the  place  of  which  is  supplied  by  fleshy 
warts  along  the  under  side  of  the  body.  Some  of  the  Euro- 
pean insects  of  this  family  are  known  to  be  very  injurious  to 
the  leaves,  fruits,  and  seeds  of  plants. 

The  diflerent  kinds  of  AtteJabvs  are  said  to  roll  up  the  edges 
of  leaves,  thereby  forming  little  nests,  of  the  shape  and  size  of 
thimbles,  to  contain  their  eggs,  and  to  shelter  their  young, 
which  afterAvards  devour  the  leaves.  The  larvae  and  habits  of 
our  native  species  are  unknown  to  me.  The  most  common 
one  here  is  the  Attelabns  cuudls  of  Weber,  or  the  red-tailed 
Attelabus.  It  is  one  quarter  of  an  inch  long  from  the  tip  of 
the  thick  snout  to  the  end  of  the  body.  The  head,  which  is 
nearly  cylindrical,  the  antennae,  legs,  and  middle  of  the  breast 
are  deep  blue-black ;  the  thorax,  wing-covers,  and  abdomen  are 
dull  red ;  the  \ving-covers  taken  together,  are  nearly  square,  and 
are  punctured  in  rows.  This  beetle  is  found  on  the  leaves  of 
oak-trees  in  June  and  July. 
8 


58  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  tAvo-spotted  Attelabus,  Attelabus  bipustulatns  of  Fabri- 
cius,  is  also  found  on  oak-leaves  during  the  same  season  as 
the  preceding.  It  is  of  a  deep  blue-black  color,  with  a  square 
dull  red  spot  on  the  shoulders  of  each  wing-cover.  It  measures 
ratiier  more  than  one  eighth  of  an  inch  in  length. 

Two  or  three  beetles  of  this  family  are  very  hurtful  to  the 
vine,  in  Europe,  by  nibbling  the  midiib  of  the  leaves,  so  that 
the  latter  may  be  roll(>d  up  to  form  a  retreat  for  their  young. 
They  also  punctiue  the  buds  and  the  tender  fruit  of  this  and  of 
other  plants.  In  consequence  of  the  damage  caused  by  them 
and  by  their  larvae,  whole  vineyards  are  sometimes  stripped  of 
their  leaves,  and  fruit-trees  are  despoiled  of  their  foliage  and 
fruits.  These  insects  belong  to  the  genus  Ryndiites,  a  name 
given  to  them  in  allusion  to  their  snouts.  I  have  not  seen  any 
of  them  on  vines  or  fruit-trees  in  this  country.  The  largest 
one  found  here  is  the  Rynchites  hicolor  of  Fabricius,  or  two- 
colored  Rynchites.  This  insect  is  met  with  in  June,  July,  and 
August,  on  cultivated  and  wild  rose-bushes,  sometimes  in 
considerable  numbers.  That  they  injure  these  plants  is  highly 
probable,  but  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  injury  is  not  cer- 
tainly known.  The  whole  of  the  upper  side  of  this  beetle  is 
red,  except  the  rather  long  and  slender  snout,  which,  together 
with  the  antennae,  legs,  and  under  side  of  the  body,  is  black ; 
it  is  thickly  covered  witli  small  punctures,  and  is  slightly  downy, 
and  there  are  rows  of  larger  punctures  on  the  wing-covers.  It 
measures  one  fifth  of  an  inch  from  the  eyes  to  the  tip  of  the 
abdomen. 

The  grubs  of  many  kinds  of  Apion  desti'oy  the  seeds  of 
plants.  In  Europe  they  do  much  mischief  to  clover  in  this  way. 
They  receive  the  above  name  from  the  shape  of  the  beetles, 
which  resembles  that  of  a  pear.  Say's  Apion,  Apion  Sayi*  of 
Schonherr,  is  a  minute  black  species,  not  more  than  one  tenth 
of  an  iiioli  long,  exclusive  of  the  slender  sharp-pointed  snout. 
Its  grubs  live  in  the  pods  of  the  common  wild  indigo  bush, 
Baplisia  lincloria,  devouring  the  seeds.     A  smaller  kind,  some- 

*  Apion  rostrum,  Say. 


COLEOPTERA.  S9 

what  like  it,  inhabits  the  pods  and  eats  the  seeds  of  the  locust- 
tree,  or  Robinia  psemlacacia. 

Naturalists  place  here  a  little  group  of  snout-beetles,  called 
Brenthid.e,  or  Brenthians,  which  differ  entirely  in  their  forms 
from  the  other  weevils,  both  in  the  beetle  and  grub  state. 
They  have  a  long,  narrow,  and  cylindrical  body.  The  snout 
projects  from  the  head  in  a  straight  line  with  the  body,  and 
varies  in  shape  according  to  the  sex  of  the  insect,  and  even  in 
individuals  of  the  same  sex.  In  the  males  it  is  broad  and  flat, 
sometimes  as  long  as  the  thorax,  sometimes  much  shorter,  and 
it  is  widened  at  the  tip,  where  are  situated  two  strong  nippers 
or  upper  jaws;  in  the  females  it  is  long,  very  slender,  and  not 
enlarged  at  the  extremity,  and  the  nippers  are  not  visible  to  the 
naked  eye.  The  feelers  are  too  small  to  be  seen.  The  antennae 
are  short,  straight,  slightly  thickened  towards  the  tip,  and  im- 
planted before  the  prominent  eyes,  on  the  middle  of  the  snout 
in  the  males,  and  at  the  base  of  it  in  the  females.  The  legs 
are  short,  the  first  pair  being  the  largest,  and  the  hindmost 
unusually  distant  from  the  middle  pair.  These  insects  live 
under  the  bark  and  in  the  trunks  of  trees,  but  very  little  has 
been  published  respecting  their  habits ;  and  the  only  description 
of  their  larvre  that  has  hitherto  appeared  is  contained  in  my 
first  Report  on  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts,  printed  in  the 
year  1838,  in  the  seventy-second  number  of  the  "Documents 
of  the  House  of  Representatives." 

The  only  beetle  of  this  family  known  in  the  New  England 
States  is  the  Brenthus  [Arrhenodes)  septemtrionis*  of  Herbst, 
the  northern  Brenthus,  so  named  because  most  of  the  other 
species  are  tropical  insects.  It  is  of  a  mahogany-brown  color; 
the  wing-cases  are  somewhat  darker,  ornamented  with  narrow 
tawny  yellow  spots,  and  marked  with  deep  furrows,  the  sides  of 
which  are  punctured ;  the  thorax  is  nearly  egg-shaped,  broadest 
behind  the  middle,  and  highly  polished.  The  common  length 
of  this  insect,  including  the  snout,  is  six  tenths  of  an  inch ;  but 
much  larger  as  weU  as  smaller  specimens  frequently  occur. 


*  A  mistake  undoubtedly  for  septemtrionalis.     It  is  the  Brenthus  maxillosus  of 
Olivier  and  Schonherr. 


GO  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  ^^GETATION. 

Tilt'  iiorlluTii  Brciilhus  inhabits  the  white  oak,  on  the  trunks 
and  under  the  bark  of  whicli  it  may  be  found  in  June  and 
July,  having  then  completed  its  transformations.  The  female, 
when  about  to  lay  her  vgg^,  punctures  the  bark  with  her  slender 
snout,  and  drops  an  egg  in  each  hole  thus  made.  The  gi-ub, 
as  soon  as  it  is  hatched,  bores  into  the  solid  wood,  forming  a 
cylindrical  passage,  which  it  keeps  clear  by  pushing  its  castings 
out  of  the  orifice  of  the  hole,  as  fast  as  they  accumulate. 
These  castings  or  chips  are  like  very  fine  saw-dust;  and  the 
holes  made  by  the  insects  are  easily  discovered  by  the  dust 
around  them.  When  fully  grown,  the  grub  measures  rather 
more  than  an  inch  in  length,  and  not  quite  one  tenth  of  an  inch 
in  thickness.  It  is  nearly  cylindrical,  being  only  a  little  flat- 
tened on  the  under  side,  and  is  of  a  whitish  color,  except  the 
last  segment,  which  is  dark  chestnut-brown.  Each  of  the  first 
three  segments  is  provided  with  a  pair  of  legs,  and  there  is  a 
fleshy  prop-leg  under  the  hinder  extremity  of  the  body.  The 
last  segment  is  of  a  horny  consistence,  and  is  obliquely  hol- 
lowed at  the  end,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  gouge  or  scoop,  the 
edges  of  which  are  furnished  with  little  notches  or  teeth.  It  is 
by  means  of  this  singular  scoop  that  the  grub  shovels  the 
minute  grains  of  the  wood  out  of  its  burrow.  The  pupa  is 
met  with  in  the  burrow  formed  by  the  larva.  It  is  of  a  yel- 
lowish white  color;  the  head  is  bent  under  the  thorax,  and  the 
snout  rests  on  the  breast  between  the  folded  legs  and  wings ; 
the  back  is  furnished  with  transverse  rows  of  little  thorns  or 
sharp  teeth,  and  there  are  two  larger  thorns  at  the  extremity  of 
the  body.  These  minute  thorns  probably  enable  the  pupa  to 
move  towards  the  mouth  of  its  burrow  when  it  is  about  to  be 
transformed,  and  may  serve  also  to  keep  its  body  steady  during 
its  exertions  in  casting  ofl'  its  pupae  skin.  These  insects  are 
most  abundant  in  trees  that  have  been  cut  down  for  timber  or 
fuel,  which  are  generally  attacked  during  the  first  summer  after 
they  are  felled ;  it  has  also  been  ascertained  that  living  trees 
do  not  always  escape,  but  those  that  are  in  full  vigor  are  rarely 
l)erforated  by  grubs  of  this  kind.  The  credit  of  discovering 
the  habits  and  transformations  of  the  northern  Brenthus  is  due 
to  the  Rev.  L.  W.  Leonard,  of  Dublin,  New  Hampshire,  who 


COLEOPTERA.  61 

has  favored  me  with  specimens  in  all  their  forms.  This  insect 
is  now  known  to  inhabit  nearly  all  the  States  in  the  Union. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  Brenthians  ought  to  be  placed 
at  the  end  of  the  weevil  tribe  ;  but  I  have  not  ventured  to  alter 
the  arrangement  generally  adopted. 

The  rest  of  the  weevils  are  short  and  thick  beetles,  differing 
from  all  the  preceding  in  their  antennae,  which  are  bent  or 
elbowed  near  the  middle,  the  first  joint  being  much  longer  than 
the  rest.  Their  feelers  are  not  perceptible.  They  belong  to 
the  family  Curculionid.e,  so  called  from  the  principal  genus 
Oui'culio,  a  name  given  by  the  Romans  to  the  corn-weevil. 
The  Curculionians  vary  in  the  form,  length,  and  direction  of 
their  snouts.  Those  belonging  to  the  old  genus  CurcuUo  have 
short  and  thick  snouts,  at  the  extremity  of  which,  and  near  to 
the  sides  of  the  mouth,  the  antennse  are  implanted;  those  to 
which  the  name  of  Mi/nchccnus  was  formerly  applied  have 
longer  and  more  slender  snouts,  usually  bearing  the  antennae 
on  or  just  behind  the  middle  ;  and  the  third  great  genus,  called 
Calandra,  contains  long-snouted  beetles,  whose  antennae  are 
fixed  just  before  the  eyes  at  the  base  of  the  snout. 

CurcuUo  {Pandeleteius)  hilaris  of  Herbst,  which  we  may  call 
the  gray-sided  Cui'culio,  is  a  little  pale  brown  bqetle,  variegated 
with  gray  upon  the  sides.  Its  snout  is  short,  broad,  and  slightly 
furrowed  in  the  middle ;  there  are  three  blackish  stripes  on  the 
thorax,  bet\veen  which  are  two  of  a  light  gray  color ;  the  wing- 
covers  have  a  broad  stripe  of  light  gray  on  the  outer  side,  edged 
within  by  a  slender  blackish  line,  and  sending  two  short  oblique 
branches  almost  across  each  wing-cover;  and  the  fore-legs  are 
much  larger  than  the  others.  The  length  of  this  beetle  varies 
from  one  eighth  to  one  fifth  of  an  inch.  The  larva  lives  in 
the  trunks  of  the  white  oak,  on  which  the  beetles  may  be  found 
about  the  last  of  May  and  the  beginning  of  June. 

The  Pales  weevil,  CurcuUo  (Hi/lobius)  Pales  of  Herbst,  is  a 
beetle  of  a  deep  chestnut-brown  color,  having  a  line  and  a  few 
dots  of  a  yellowish  white  color  on  the  thorax,  and  many  small 
yellowish  white  spots  sprinkled  over  the  wing-covers.  AU  the 
thighs  are  toothed  beneath,  and  the  snout  is  slender,  cylindrical, 
inclined,  and  nearly  as  long  as  the  thorax.     On  account  of  the 


62  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

len^h  of  tlie  snout  this  insect  has  been  placed  in  the  genus 
niu/nclKcnus  by  some  naturalists;  but  the  antennse  are  implanted 
before  the  middle  of  the  snout,  and  not  far  from  the  sides  of 
the  mouth.  This  beetle  measures  from  two  to  three  eighths 
of  an  inch  in  length,  exclusive  of  the  snout.  It  may  be  found 
in  great  abundance,  in  May  and  June,  on  board-fences,  the 
sides  of  new  wooden  buildings,  and  on  the  trunks  of  pine-trees. 
I  have  discovered  them,  in  considerable  numbers,  under  the 
bark  of  the  pitch-pine.  The  larva?,  which  do  not  materially 
dirtcr  from  those  of  other  weevils,  inhabit  these  and  probably 
other  kinds  of  pines,  doing  sometimes  immense  injury  to  them. 
Wilson,  the  ornithologist,  describes  the  depredations  of  these 
insects,  in  his  account*  of  the  ivory-billed  wood-pecker,  in  the 
following  words.  "  "Would  it  be  believed  that  the  larvse  of  an 
insect,  or  fly,  no  larger  than  a  grain  of  rice,  should  silently,  and 
in  one  season,  destroy  some  thousand  acres  of  pine  trees,  many 
of  them  from  two  to  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  a  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  high!  Yet  whoever  passes  along  the  high  road  from 
Georgetown  to  Charleston,  in  South  Carolina,  about  twenty 
miles  from  the  former  place,  can  have  striking  and  melancholy 
proofs  of  the  fact.  In  some  places  the  whole  woods,  as  far  as 
you  can  see  around  you,  are  dead,  stripped  of  the  bark,  their 
wintry-looking  arms  and  bare  trunks  bleaching  in  the  sun,  and 
tumbling  in  ruins  before  every  blast,  presenting  a  frightful 
picture  of  desolation.  Until  some  eflectual  preventive  or  more 
complete  remedy  can  be  devised  against  these  insects,  and 
their  larvop,  I  would  humbly  suggest  the  propriety  of  protecting, 
and  receiving  with  proper  feelings  of  gratitude,  the  services  of 
this  and  the  whole  tribe  of  wood-peckers,  letting  the  odium  of 
guilt  fall  to  its  proper  owners."  Some  years  ago  JVIr.  Nuttall 
kindly  procured  for  me,  near  the  place  above-mentioned,  speci- 
mens of  the  destructive  insects  refeiTcd  to  by  Wilson.  They 
were  of  three  kinds.  Those  in  greatest  abundance  were  the 
Pales  weevil.  One  of  the  others  was  a  larger,  darker-colored 
weevil,  without  white  spots  on  it,  and  named  Hi/lobius  picivorus, 
by  Germar  and   Schonherr,  or  the  pitch-eating  weevil;  it  is 

*  American  Ornithology.     Vol.  IV.  p.  21. 


COLEOPTERA.  63 

seldom  found  in  Massachusetts.  The  thu-d  was  the  white  pine 
weevil  to  be  next  described.  It  is  said  that  these  beetles  punc- 
ture the  buds  and  the  tender  bark  of  the  small  branches,  and 
feed  upon  the  juice,  and  that  the  young  shoots  are  often  so 
much  injured  by  them  as  to  die  and  break  off  at  the  wounded 
part.  But  it  is  in  the  larva  state  that  they  are  found  to  be 
most  hurtful  to  the  pines.  The  larvae  live  under  the  bark, 
devouring  its  soft  inner  surface,  and  the  tender  newly  formed 
wood.  When  they  abound,  as  they  do  in  some  of  our  pine 
forests,  they  separate  large  pieces  of  bark  from  the  wood  be- 
neath, in  consequence  of  which  the  part  perishes,  and  the  tree 
itself  soon  languishes  and  dies. 

The  white  pine  weevil,  Rhyncharms  [Pissodes)  Strobi*  of 
Professor  Peck,  unites  with  the  two  preceding  insects  in  de- 
stroying the  pines  of  this  country,  as  above  described.  But  it 
employs  also  another  luode  of  attack  on  the  white  pine,  of 
which  an  interesting  account  is  given  by  the  late  Professor 
Peck,  the  first  describer  of  the  insect,  in  the  fourth  volume  of 
the  "  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository  and  Journal," 
accompanied  by  figures  of  the  insect.  The  lofty  stature  of 
the  white  pine,  and  the  straightness  of  its  trunk,  depend,  as 
Professor  Peck  has  remarked,  upon  the  constant  health  of  its 
leading  shoot,  for  a  long  succession  of  years ;  and  if  this  shoot 
be  destroyed,  the  tree  becomes  stunted  and  deformed  in  its 
subsequent  growth.  This  accident  is  not  uncommon,  and  is 
caused  by  the  ravages  of  the  white  pine  weevil.  This  beetle 
is  oblong  oval,  rather  slender,  of  a  brownish  color,  thickly 
punctured,  and  variegated  with  small  brown,  rust-colored,  and 
whitish  scales.  There  are  two  white  dots  on  the  thorax ;  the 
scutel  is  white ;  and  on  the  wing-covers,  which  are  punctured 
in  rows,  there  is  a  whitish  transverse  band  behind  the  middle. 
The  snout  is  longer  than  the  thorax,  slender,  and  a  very  little 
inclined.  The  length  of  this  insect,  exclusive  of  its  snout, 
varies  from  one  fifth  to  three  tenths  of  an  inch.  Its  eggs  are 
deposited  on  the  leading  shoot  of  the  pine,  probably  immedi- 
ately under  the  outer  bark.     The  larvae,  hatched  therefrom, 

*  Pissodes  nemorensis  of  Germar. 


64  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

bore  into  the  shoot  in  various  directions,  and  probably  remain 
in  the  wood  more  than  one  year.  When  the  feeding  state  is 
passed,  but  before  the  insect  is  changed  to  a  pupa,  it  gnaws  a 
passage  from  the  inside  quite  to  the  bark,  which,  however, 
remaining  nntonciied,  serves  to  shelter  the  little  borers  from  the 
weather.  After  they  have  changed  to  beetles,  they  have  only 
to  cut  away  the  outer  bark  to  make  their  escape.  They  begin 
to  come  out  early  in  September,  and  continue  to  leave  the 
wood  through  that  month  and  a  part  of  October.  The  shoot 
at  this  time  will  be  found  pierced  with  small  round  holes  on 
all  sides;  sometimes  thirty  or  forty  maybe  counted  on  one 
shoot.  Professor  Peck  has  observed  that  an  unlimited  increase 
is  not  permitted  to  this  destructive  insect;  and  that  if  it  were, 
our  forests  would  not  produce  a  single  mast.  One  of  the 
means  appointed  to  restrain  the  increase  of  the  white  pine 
weevil  is  a  species  of  ichneumon-fly,  endued  with  sagacity  to 
discover  the  retreat  of  the  larva,  the  body  of  which  it  stings, 
and  therein  deposits  an  egg.  From  the  latter  a  grub  is  hatched, 
which  devours  the  larva  of  the  weevil,  and  is  subsequently 
transformed  to  a  four-winged  fly,  in  the  habitation  prepared 
for  it.  The  most  eftectual  remedy  against  the  increase  of  these 
weevils  is  to  cut  off  the  shoot  in  August,  or  as  soon  as  it  is 
perceived  to  be  dead,  and  commit  it,  with  its  inhabitants,  to 
the  fire.  Such  is  the  substance  of  Professor  Peck's  history  of 
this  insect;  to  which  may  be  added,  that  the  beetles  are  found 
in  great  numbers,  in  April  and  May,  on  fences,  buildings,  and 
pine-trees;  that  tlu^y  probably  secrete  themselves  dm-ing  the 
winter  in  the  crevices  of  the  bark,  or  about  the  roots  of  the 
trees,  and  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  spring ;  or  they  may  not 
usually  leave  the  trees  before  spring. 

Perhaps  the  method  used  for  decoying  the  pine-eating  beetles 
in  Europe  may  be  practised  here  with  advantage.  It  consists 
in  sticking  some  newly  cut  branches  of  pine-trees  in  the  ground, 
in  an  optMi  place,  during  the  season  when  the  insects  are  about 
to  lay  their  eggs.  In  a  few  hours  these  branches  will  be  cov- 
ered with  the  beetles,  which  may  be  shaken  into  a  cloth  and 
burned. 


COLEOPTERA.  65 

There  are  some  of  the  long-snouted  weevils  which  inhabit 
nuts  of  various  kinds.  Hence  they  are  called  nut-weevils,  and 
belong  chiefly  to  the  modern  genus  Balaninns,  a  name  that 
signifies  living  or  being  in  a  nut.  The  common  nut-weevil  of 
Europe  lays  her  eggs  in  the  hazel-nut  and  filbert,  having  pre- 
viously bored  a  hole  for  that  purpose  with  her  long  and  slender 
snout,  while  the  fruit  is  young  and  tender,  and  dropping  only 
one  egg  in  each  nut  thus  pricked.  A  little  grub  is  soon  hatched 
from  the  egg,  and  begins  immediately  to  devour  the  soft  kernel. 
Notwithstanding  this,  the  nut  continues  to  increase  in  size,  and, 
by  the  time  that  it  is  ripe  and  ready  to  fall,  its  little  inhabitant 
also  comes  to  its  growth,  gnaws  a  round  hole  in  the  shell, 
through  which  it  afterwards  makes  its  escape,  and  burrows  in 
the  ground.  Here  it  remains  unchanged  through  the  winter, 
and  in  the  following  summer,  having  completed  its  transfor- 
mations, it  comes  out  of  the  ground  a  beetle. 

In  this  country  weevil-grubs  are  very  common  in  hazel-nuts, 
chestnuts,  and  acorns;  but  I  have  not  hitherto  been  able  to 
rear  any  of  them  to  the  beetle  state.  The  most  common  of 
the  nut-weevils  known  to  me  appears  to  be  the  Rhynchcenus 
[Balaninus)  nasicus  of  Say;  the  long-snouted  nut-weevil.  Its 
form  is  oval,  and  its  ground  color  dark  brown ;  but  it  is  clothed 
with  very  short  rust-yeUow  flattened  hairs,  which  more  or  less 
conceal  its  original  color,  and  are  disposed  in  spots  on  its  wing- 
covers.  The  snout  is  brown  and  polished,  longer  than  the 
whole  body,  as  slender  as  a  bristle,  of  equal  thickness  from  one 
end  to  the  other,  and  slightly  curved ;  it  bears  the  long  elbowed 
antennae,  which  are  as  fine  as  a  hair,  just  behind  the  middle. 
This  beetle  measures  nearly  three  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
exclusive  of  the  snout.  Specimens  have  been  found  paired 
upon  the  hazel-nut  tree  in  July,  at  which  time  probably  the 
eggs  are  laid.  Others  appear  in  September  and  October,  and 
must  pass  the  winter  concealed  in  some  secure  place.  From 
its  size  and  resemblance  to  the  nut-weevil  of  Europe,  this  is 
supposed  to  be  the  species  which  attacks  the  hazel-nut  here. 

It  is  now  well  known  that  the  falling  of  unripe  plums  is 
caused  by  little  whitish  grubs,  which  bore  into  the  fruit.  The 
loss,  occasioned  by  insects  of  this  kind,  is  frequently  very  great ; 
9 


6d  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and,  in  some  of  onr  gardens  and  orchards,  the  crop  of  plums 
is  often  entirely  ruined  by  the  depredations  of  the  grubs,  which 
have  been  ascertained  to  be  the  larvte  or  young  of  a  small 
beetle  of  the  weevil  tribe,  called  Rhynchccnus  ( Conotrachelus) 
Nenuphar*  the  Nenuphar  or  plum-weevil.  This  weevil,  or 
curculio,  as  it  is  often  called,  is  a  little  rough,  dark  brown,  or 
blackish  beetle,  looking  like  a  dried  bud,  when  it  is  shaken 
from  the  trees,  which  resemblance  is  increased  by  its  habit  of 
drawing  up  its  legs  and  bending  its  snout  close  to  the  lower 
side  of  its  body,  and  remaining  for  a  time  without  motion, 
and  seemingly  lifeless.  It  is  from  three  twentieths  to  one  fifth 
of  an  inch  long,  exclusive  of  the  curved  snout,  which  is  rather 
longer  than  the  thorax,  and  is  bent  under  the  breast,  between 
the  fore  legs,  when  at  rest.  Its  color  is  a  dark  brown,  varie- 
gated with  spots  of  white,  ochre-yellow,  and  black.  The 
thorax  is  uneven ;  the  wing-covers  have  several  short  ridges 
upon  them,  those  on  the  middle  of  the  back  forming  two  con- 
siderable humps,  of  a  black  color,  behind  which  there  is  a  wide 
band  of  ochre-yellow  and  white.  Each  of  the  thighs  has  two 
little  teeth  on  the  under  side.  I  have  found  these  beetles  as 
early  as  the  thirtieth  of  March,  and  as  late  as  the  tenth  of 
June,  and  at  various  intermediate  times,  according  with  the 
forwardness  or  backwardness  of  vegetation  in  the  spring,  and 
have  frequently  caught  them  flying  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 
They  begin  to  sting  the  plums  as  soon  as  the  fruit  is  set,  and 
continue  their  operations  to  the  middle  of  July,  or,  as  some 
say,  till  the  first  of  August.  In  doing  this,  the  beetle  first 
makes  a  small  crescent-shaped  incision,  with  its  snout,  in  the 
skin  of  the  plum,  and  then,  turning  round,  inserts  an  egg  in 
the  wound.  From  one  plum  it  goes  to  another,  until  its  store 
of  eggs  is  exhausted ;  so  that,  where  these  beetles  abound,  not 
a  plum  will  escape  being  stung.  Very  rarely  is  there  more 
than  one  incision  made  in  the  same  fruit ;  and  the  weevil  lays 
only  a  single  egg  therein.     The  insect  hatched  from  this  egg  is 


*  First  described  by  Herbst,  in  1797,  under  the  name  of  Curculio  Nenuphar  ; 
Fabriciu3  rcdcscribed  it  under  that  of  Rhyncheenus  Argula;  and  Dejean  has 
named  it  Conotrachelus  variegatut. 


COLEOPTERA.  67 

a  little  whitish  grub,  destitute  of  feet,  and  very  much  like  a 
maggot  in  appearance,  except  that  it  has  a  distinct,  rounded, 
light  brown  head.  It  immediately  burrows  obliquely  into  the 
fruit,  and  finally  penetrates  to  the  stone.  The  irritation, 
arising  from  the  wounds  and  from  the  gnawings  of  the  grubs, 
causes  the  young  fruit  to  become  gummy,  diseased,  and  finally 
to  drop  before  it  is  ripe.  Meanwhile,  the  grub  comes  to  its 
growth,  and,  immediately  after  the  falling  of  the  fruit,  quits 
the  latter  and  burrows  in  the  ground.  This  may  occur  at 
various  times  between  the  middle  of  June  and  of  August; 
and,  in  about  three  weeks  afterwards,  the  insect  completes  its 
transformations,  and  comes  out  of  the  ground  in  the  beetle 
form. 

The  earliest  account  of  the  habits  of  the  plum-weevil,  that 
I  have  seen,  was  written  by  Dr.  James  Tilton,  of  Wilmington, 
Delaware.  It  will  be  found,  under  the  article  Fruity  in  Dr. 
James  Mease's  edition  of  Willich's  "  Domestic  Encyclopaedia," 
published  at  Philadelphia  in  1803.  The  same  account  has 
been  reprinted  in  the  "  Georgick  Papers  for  1809"  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Agricultural  Society,  and  in  other  works.  Accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Tilton,  this  insect  attacks  not  only  nectarines,  plums, 
apricots,  and  cherries,  but  also  peaches,  apples,  pears,  and 
quinces,  the  truth  of  which  has  been  abundantly  confirmed  by 
later  writers.  I  have  myself  ascertained  that  the  cherry-worm^ 
so  called,  which  is  very  common  in  this  fruit  when  gathered 
from  the  tree,  produces,  at  maturity,  the  same  curculio  as  that 
of  the  plum ;  but,  unlike  the  latter,  it  rarely  causes  the  stung 
cherry  to  drop  prematurely  to  the  ground.  The  late  Dr.  Joel 
Bm-net,  of  Southborough,  the  author  of  two  interesting  articles 
on  the  plum-weevil,*  sent  to  me,  in  the  summer  of  1839,  some 
specimens  of  the  insect,  in  the  chrysalis  state,  which  were 
raised  from  the  small  grubs  in  apples ;  and,  since  that  time,  I 
have  seen  the  same  grubs  in  apples,  pears,  and  quinces,  in  this 


*  New  England  Farmer,  Vol.  XVIII,  p.  304,  March  11,  1840;  and  Hovey's 
Magazine  of  Horticulture,  Vol.  IX.  p.  281,  August,  1843,  reprinted  in  the  New 
England  Farmer,  Vol.  XXII,  p.  49,  August  16,  1843,  and  in  the  Transactions  of 
the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  for  1843-1846,  p.  18. 


68  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

vicinity.  They  are  not  to  be  mistaken  for  the  more  common 
apple-icorms,  from  ^vhi(•h  tliey  are  easily  distinguished  by  their 
inferior  size,  and  by  tlieir  want  of  feet.  In  1831,  Mr.  Thomas 
Say,  in  a  note  on  the  plum-weevil,  stated  that  it  "  depredates 
on  the  plum  and  peach  and  other  stone-fruits ;"  and,  that  his 
"kinsman,  the  late  excellent  Wm.  Bartram,  informed  him  it 
also  destroys  the  English  walnut  in  this  country."* 

Observers  do  not  agree  concerning  some  points  in  the  econo- 
my of  this  insect,  such  as  the  time  required  for  it  to  complete 
its  transformations,  the  condition  and  place  wherein  it  passes 
the  winter,  and  the  agency  of  the  curculio  in  producing  the 
warts  or  excrescences  on  plum  and  cherry  trees.     The  average 
time  passed  by  the  insect  in  the  ground,  during  the  summer, 
has  appeared  to  me  to  be  about  three  weeks ;  but  the  transfor- 
mation may  be  accelerated  or  retarded  by  temperature  and 
situation.     It  has  also  been  my  impression  that  the  late  broods 
remained  in  the  ground  all  winter,  and  that  from  them  are 
produced  the  beetles  which  sting  the  fruit  in  the  following 
spring.     Dr.  Burnet's  observations  coincide  with  this  opinion. 
According  to   him,  the  insect  "undergoes   transformation  in 
about  fifteen  or  twenty  days,  in  the  month  of  June  or  fore  part 
of  July;  but  all  the  larvae  (as  far  as  he  had  observed),  that  go 
into  the  earth  as  late  as  the  20th  of  July,  do  not  ascend  that 
season,  but  remain  there  in  the  pupa  stage  until  next  spring." 
Dr.  Tilton,  in  his  account  of  the  curculio,  stated  that  "it  re- 
mains in  the  earth,  in  the  form  of  a  grub,  during  the  winter, 
ready  to  be  metamorphosed  into  a  beetle  as  the  spring  ad- 
vances."    According  to  M.  H.  Simpson,  Esq.,  of  SaxonviUe, 
the  larvtE,  or  grubs,  "  go  through  their  chrysalis  state  in  three 
weeks  after  going  into  the  ground,  and  remain  in  a  torpid  state 
through  the  season,  unless  the  earth  is  disturbed."!     Dr.  E. 
Sanborn,  of  Andover,  has  come  to  entirely  different  conclu- 
sions, from  a  series  of  experiments  made  upon  these  insects.     It 
is  his  t)pinion  that  they  do  not  remain  in  the  ground,  during 
the  winter,  either  in  the  grub  or  in  the  beetle  state ;  but  that, 

*  Descriptions  of  Curculionites,  p.  19.  8vo.  New  Harmony,  1831. 
t  Hovey's  Magazine,  Vol.  XVI,  p.  257,  June,  1850. 


COLEOPTERA.  69 

under  all  conditions  of  place  and  temperature,  "in  about  sLx 
weeks"  after  they  have  entered  the  earth  "  they  return  to  the 
surface  perfectly  finished,  winged,  and  equipped  for  the  work 
of  destruction ;"  and  that,  "  as  neither  the  curculio  nor  its  grub 
burrows  in  the  ground  during  the  winter,  the  common  practice 
of  guarding  against  its  ravages,  by  various  operations  in  the 
soil,  rests  upon  a  false  theory,  and  is  productive  of  no  valuable 
results."*  If  these  conclusions  be  correct,  these  insects  must 
pass  the  winter,  above  ground,  in  the  beetle  state,  and  the 
place  of  their  concealment,  during  this  season,  remains  to  be 
discovered. 

Li  July,  1818,  Professor  W.  D.  Peck  obtained,  from  the  warty 
excrescences  of  the  cherry-tree,  the  same  insects  that  he  "had 
long  known  to  occasion  the  fall  of  peaches,  apricots,  and 
plums,  before  they  had  acquired  half  their  growth ;"  and,  not 
aware  that  this  species  had  already  received  a  scientific  name, 
he  called  it  Rhynchanns  Cerasi,  the  cherry-weevil.  His  ac- 
count of  it,  with  a  figm-e,  may  be  seen  in  the  fifth  volume  of 
the  "Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository  and  Jom-nal." 
The  grubs,  found  by  Professor  Peck  in  the  tumors  of  the 
cherry-tree,  went  into  the  ground  on  the  sixth  of  July,  and  on 
the  thirtieth  of  the  same  month,  or  twenty-four  days  from 
their  leaving  the  bark,  the  perfect  insects  began  to  rise,  and 
were  soon  ready  to  deposit  their  eggs. 

The  plum,  still  more  than  the  cherry  tree,  is  subject  to  a  dis- 
ease of  the  small  limbs,  that  shows  itself  in  the  form  of  large 
irregular  warts,  of  a  black  color.  Professor  Peck  refeiTed  this 
disease,  as  well  as  that  of  the  cheny-tree,  to  the  agency  of 
insects,  but  was  uncertain  whether  to  attribute  it  to  his  cherry- 
weevil  "  or  to  another  species  of  the  same  genus."  It  was  his 
opinion  that  "the  seat  of  the  disease  is  in  the  bark.  The  sap 
is  diverted  from  its  regular  course,  and  is  absorbed  entu-ely  by 
the  bark,  which  is  very  much  increased  in  thickness ;  the  cuticle 
bursts,  the  swelling  becomes  iiTegular,  and  is  formed  into  black 


*  See  Dr.  Sanborn's  interesting  communications  on  the  Plum  Curculio,  in  the 
Boston  Cultivator,  for  May  19,  1849,  and  July  13,  1850,  and  in  the  Puritan 
Recorder,  for  May  2,  and  the  Cambridge  Chronicle  for  May  30,  1850. 


T0  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

lumps,  with  a  cracked,  uneven,  granulated  surface.  The  wood, 
besides  being  deprived  of  its  nutriment,  is  very  much  com- 
pressed, and  the  branch  above  the  tumor  perishes."  Dr.  Burnet 
rejected  the  idea  of  the  insect  origin  of  this  disease,  which  he 
considered  as  a  kind  of  fungus,  arising  in  the  alburnum,  from 
an  obstruction  of  the  vessels,  and  bursting  through  the  bark, 
which  became  involved  in  the  disease.  These  tumors  appear 
to  me  to  begin  bet\veen  the  bark  and  wood.  They  are  at  first 
soft,  cellular,  and  full  of  sap,  but  finally  become  hard  and 
woody.  But  whether  caused  by  vitiated  sap,  as  Dr.  Burnet 
supposed,  or  by  the  irritating  punctures  of  insects,  which  is  the 
prevailing  opinion,  or  whatever  be  their  origin  and  seat,  they 
form  an  appropriate  bed  for  the  growth  of  numerous  little 
parasitical  plants  or  frnign,,  to  which  botanists  give  the  name 
of  Splicer ia  morhosa.  These  plants  are  the  minute  black  gran- 
ules that  cover  the  surface  of  the  wart,  and  give  to  it  its  black 
color.  When  fully  matured,  they  are  filled  with  a  gelatinous 
fluid,  and  have  a  little  pit  or  depression  on  their  summit. 
They  come  to  their  growth,  discharge  their  volatile  seed,  and 
die  in  the  course  of  a  single  summer ;  and  with  them  perishes 
the  tumor  whence  they  sprung.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that 
they  are  sure  to  appear  on  these  warts  in  due  time,  and  that 
they  are  never  found  on  any  other  part  of  the  tree. 

Insects  are  often  found  in  the  warts  of  the  plum-tree,  as 
well  as  in  those  of  the  cherry-tree.  The  larvae  of  a  minute 
Cynips,  or  gall-fly,  is  said  to  inhabit  them,f  but  have  never 
fallen  under  my  observation.  The  naked  caterpillars  of  a 
minute  moth  are  very  common  in  the  warts  of  the  plum-tree, 
in  which  also  are  sometimes  found  other  insects,  among  them 
little  grubs  from  which  genuine  plum-weevils  have  been  raised. 
This  is  a  very  interesting  fact  in  the  economy  of  the  plum- 
weevil.  It  may  be  questioned,  however,  whether  it  be  a  mere 
mistake  of  instinct  tliat  leads  the  curculio  to  lay  its  eggs  in 
the  warts  of  the  plum-tree,  or  a  special  provision  of  a  wise 
Providence  to  secure  thereby  a  succession  of  the  species  in 
unfruitful  seasons. 


t  Schweinitz,  Synopsis  Fungorum ;  in  Transactions  of  the  American  Philo- 
sophical Society,  Philadelphia.    New  Series,  Vol.  IV.  p.  204. 


COLEOPTERA.  7l 

The  following,  among  other  remedies  that  have  been  sug- 
gested, may  be  found  useful  in  checking  the  ravages  of  the 
plum-weevil.  Let  the  trees  be  briskly  shaken  or  suddenly 
jarred  every  morning  and  evening  during  the  time  that  the 
insects  appear  in  the  beetle  form,  and  are  engaged  in  laying 
their  eggs.  When  thus  disturbed,  they  contract  their  legs  and 
fall ;  and,  as  they  do  not  immediately  attempt  to  fly  or  crawl 
away,  they  may  be  caught  in  a  sheet  spread  under  the  ti*ee, 
from  which  they  should  be  gathered  into  a  large  wide-mouthed 
bottle  or  other  tight  vessel,  and  be  thrown  into  the  fire. 
Keeping  the  fruit  covered  with  a  coat  of  whitewash,  which 
is  to  be  applied  with  a  syringe  as  often  as  necessary,  has  been 
much  recommended  of  late  to  repel  the  attacks  of  the  cm-culio. 
A  little  glue,  added  to  the  whitewash,  causes  it  to  stick  better 
and  last  longer.  We  may  succeed  by  this  remedy  in  securing 
a  crop  of  plums ;  but  as  we  cannot  apply  it  to  cherries  and 
apples,  they  will  be  sure  to  suffer  more  than  ever,  and  hence 
no  check  wdll  be  given  to  the  increase  of  the  weevil.  All  the 
fallen  fruit  should  be  immediately  gathered  and  thrown  into  a 
tight  vessel,  and  after  they  are  boiled  or  steamed  to  kill  the 
enclosed  grubs,  they  may  be  given  as  food  to  swine.  Many 
of  the  grubs  will  be  found  in  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  in  which 
the  fallen  fruit  has  been  deposited.  Not  one  of  these  should 
be  allowed  to  escape  to  the  ground,  but  they  should  all  be 
killed  before  they  have  time  to  complete  their  transformations. 
The  diseased  excrescences  on  the  trees  should  be  cut  out,  and 
as  they  often  contain  insects,  they  should  be  burnt.  K  the 
wounds  are  washed  with  strong  brine,  the  formation  of  new 
warts  will  be  checked.  The  moose  plum-tree  [Prumis  Ameri- 
cana) seems  to  be  free  from  warts,  even  when  growing  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  diseased  foreign  trees.  It  would,  there- 
fore, be  the  best  of  stocks  for  budding  or  engrafting  upon.  It 
can  be  easily  raised  from  the  stone,  and  grows  rapidly,  but 
does  not  attain  a  great  size. 

Among  the  many  insects  that  have  been  charged  with  being 
the  cause  of  the  wide-spread  pestilence,  commonly  called  the 
potato-rot,  there  is  a  kind  of  weevil  that  lives  in  the  stalk  of 
the  potato.     The  history  of  this  little  insect  was  first  made 


•72  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

known  by  Miss  Margaretta  H.  Morris,  of  Germantown,  Penn- 
sylvania. In  August,  1849,  her  attention  was  called  to  this 
subject  by  Mr.  Williamson,  the  principal  of  the  Mount  Airy 
Agricultural  Institute,  "who  discovered  small  grubs  in  the 
potato-vines  on  his  farm,  and  naturally  feared  injurious  con- 
sequences." On  the  28th  of  the  same  month  and  year,  Miss 
Morris  sent  to  me  some  specimens  of  the  insects  in  a  piece  of 
the  potato  stalk,  wherein  they  underwent  their  transformations. 
They  proved  to  be  the  beetles,  described  by  Mr.  Say  under  the 
name  of  Baridius  trinotatus,  so  called  from  their  having  three 
black  dots  on  their  backs.  This  kind  of  beetle  is  about  three 
twentieths  of  an  inch  long.  Its  body  is  covered  with  short 
whitish  hairs,  which  give  to  it  a  gray  appearance.  One  of 
the  black  dots  is  on  the  scutel,  and  the  others  are  on  the  hinder 
angles  of  the  thorax ;  and,  by  these,  it  can  be  readily  distin- 
guished from  other  species.  According  to  Miss  Morris,  it  lays 
its  eggs  singly  on  the  plant  at  the  base  of  a  leaf.  The  grubs 
burrow  into  and  consume  the  inner  substance  of  the  stalk, 
proceeding  downwards  towards  the  root.  In  many  fields,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Germantown,  every  stem  was  found  to 
be  infested  by  these  insects,  causing  the  premature  decay  of 
the  vines,  and  giving  to  them  the  appearance  of  having  been 
scalded.  The  insects  undergo  aU  their  transformations  in  the 
stalks.  Their  pupa  state  lasts  from  fourteen  to  tvventy  days, 
and  they  take  the  beetle  form  during  the  last  of  August  and 
beginning  of  September.  These  insects,  though  common 
enough  in  the  Middle  States,  I  have  never  found  in  New 
England,  in  the  course  of  thirty  years  of  observation,  and  have 
failed  to  discover  them  here  since  my  attention  was  called  to 
their  depredations  by  Miss  Morris.  That  they  may  become 
very  injurious  to  the  potato  crop  where  they  abound,  will  be 
readily  admitted ;  but,  as  they  do  not  occur  either  in  all  places 
here  or  in  Europe,  where  the  potato-rot  has  prevailed,  they 
cannot  be  justly  said  to  produce  this  disease.* 
The  most  pernicious  of  the  Rhynchophorians,  or  snout-beetles, 

*  See  my  communication  on  this  insect,  &c.,  in  the  New  England  Farmer,  for 
June  22,  1850,  Vol.  II.  p.  204. 


COLEOPTERA.  78 

are  the  insects  properly  called  grain-weevils,  belonging  to  the 
old  genus  CaJandra.  These  insects  must  not  be  confounded 
with  the  still  more  destructive  larvae  of  the  corn-moth  ( Tinea 
g-rcniclla),  which  also  attacks  stored  grain,  nor  with  the  orange- 
colored  maggots  of  the  w^heat-fiy  ( Cecidomyia  Tritici),  which 
are  found  in  the  ears  of  growing  wheat.  Although  the  grain- 
weevils  are  not  actually  injurious  to  vegetation,  yet  as  the 
name  properly  belonging  to  them  has  often  been  misapplied 
in  this  country,  thereby  creating  no  little  confusion,  some 
remarks  upon  them  may  tend  to  prevent  future  mistakes. 

The  true  grain-weevil  or  wheat-weevil  of  Europe,  Calandra 
{Sitophilus)  granaria,  or  Curcidio  granarius  of  Linnaeus,  in  its 
perfected  state  is  a  slender  beetle  of  a  pitchy  red  color,  about 
one  eighth  of  an  inch  long,  with  a  slender  snout  slightly  bent 
downwards,  a  coarsely  punctured  and  very  long  thorax,  con- 
stituting almost  one  half  the  length  of  the  whole  body,  and 
wing-covers  that  are  furrowed  and  do  not  entirely  cover  the 
tip  of  the  abdomen.  This  little  insect,  both  in  the  beetle  and 
grub  state,  devours  stored  wheat  and  other  grains,  and  often 
commits  much  havoc  in  granaries  and  brewhouses.  Its  powers 
of  multiplication  are  very  great,  for  it  is  stated  that  a  single 
pair  of  these  destroyers  may  produce  above  six  thousand  de- 
scendants in  one  year.  The  female  deposits  her  eggs  upon 
the  wheat  after  it  is  housed,  and  the  young  grubs  hatched 
therefrom  immediately  burrow  into  the  wheat,  each  individual 
occupying  alone  a  single  grain,  the  substance  of  which  it 
devours,  so  as  often  to  leave  nothing  but  the  hull ;  and  this 
destruction  goes  on  within,  while  no  external  appearance  leads 
to  its  discovery,  and  the  loss  of  weight  is  the  only  evidence  of 
the  mischief  that  has  been  done  to  the  grain.  In  due  time  the 
grubs  undergo  their  transformations,  and  come  out  of  the  hulls, 
in  the  beetle  state,  to  lay  their  eggs  for  another  brood.  These 
insects  are  effectually  destroyed  by  kiln-drying  the  wheat ;  and 
grain,  that  is  kept  cool,  well  ventilated,  and  is  frequently  moved, 
is  said  to  be  exempt  from  attack. 

Rice  is  attacked  by  an  insect  closely  resembling  the  wheat- 
weevil,  from  which,  however,  it  is  distinguished  by  having  two 
large  red  spots  on  each  wing-cover;  it  is  also  somewhat  smaller, 
10 


74  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

measuring  only  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  exclusive 
of  the  snout.  Tliis  beetle,  the  Calandra  (Sitophihis)  Onjzcc* 
or  rice-weevil,  is  not  entirely  confined  to  rice,  but  depredates 
upon  wheat,  and  also  on  Indian  corn.  In  the  Southern  States 
it  is  called  the  black  loeevil,  to  distinguish  it  from  other  insects 
that  infest  grain.  I  am  not  aware  that  these  weevils  attack 
wheat  in  New  England  ;  but  I  have  seen  stored  Southern  corn 
swarming  with  them ;  and,  should  they  multiply  and  extend 
in  this  section  of  the  country,  they  will  become  a  source  of 
serious  injury  to  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  our  staple  pro- 
ductions. It  is  said  that  this  weevil  lays  its  eggs  on  the  rice 
in  the  fields,  as  soon  as  the  grain  begins  to  swell.  If  this 
indeed  be  true,  we  have  very  little  to  fear  from  it  here,  our 
Indian  corn  being  so  well  protected  by  the  husks  that  it  would 
probably  escape  from  any  injury,  if  attacked.  On  the  conti'ary, 
if  the  insects  multiply  in  stored  grain,  then  our  utmost  care 
will  be  necessary  to  prevent  them  from  infesting  our  own  gar- 
ners. The  parent  beetle  bores  a  hole  into  the  grain,  and  drops 
therein  a  single  egg,  going  from  one  grain  to  another  till  all 
her  eggs  are  laid.  She  then  dies,  leaving,  however,  the  rice 
well  seeded  for  a  futm-e  harvest  of  weevil-grubs.  In  due  time 
the  eggs  are  hatched,  the  grubs  live  securely  and  unseen  in  the 
centre  of  the  rice,  devouring  a  considerable  portion  of  its  sub- 
stance, and  when  fully  grown  they  gnaw  a  little  hole  through 
the  end  of  the  grain,  artfully  stopping  it  up  again  with  parti- 
cles of  rice-flour,  and  then  are  changed  to  pupae.  This  usually 
occurs  during  the  winter;  and  in  the  following  spring  the 
insects  are  transformed  to  beetles,  and  come  out  of  the  grain. 
By  winnowing  and  sifting  the  rice  in  the  spring,  the  beetles 
can  be  separated,  and  then  should  be  gathered  immediately 
and  destroyed. 

The  sudden  change  of  the  temperature  that  generally  occurs 
in  the  early  part  of  May,  brings  out  great  numbers  of  insects, 
from  their  winter-quarters,  to  enjoy  the  sunshine  and  the  ardent 
heat  which  are  congenial  to  their  natures.  While  a  continued 
hum  is  heard,  among  the  branches  of  the  trees,  from  thousands 

*  Curculio  Oryza  of  Linnaeus. 


COLEOPTERA.  75 

of  bees  and  flies,  drawn  thither  by  the  fragrance  of  the  bursting 
buds  and  the  tender  foliage,  and  the  very  ground  beneath  our 
feet  seems  teeming  with  insect  life,  swarms  of  little  beetles  of 
various  kinds  come  forth  to  try  their  wings,  and,  with  an  un- 
certain and  heavy  flight,  launch  into  the  au\  Among  these 
beetles  there  are  many  of  a  dull  red  or  fox  color,  nearly  cylin- 
drical in  form,  tapering  a  very  little  before,  obtusely  rounded 
at  both  extremities,  and  about  one  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length. 
They  are  seen  slowly  creeping  upon  the  sides  of  wooden  build- 
ings, resting  on  the  tops  of  fences,  or  wheeling  about  in  the 
air,  and  every  now  and  then  suddenly  alighting  on  some  tree 
or  wall,  or  dropping  to  the  ground.  If  we  go  to  an  old  pine- 
tree  we  may  discover  from  whence  they  have  come,  and  what 
they  have  been  about  dm'ing  the  past  period  of  their  lives. 
Here  they  will  be  found  creeping  out  of  thousands  of  small 
round  holes  which  they  have  made  through  the  bark  for  then* 
escape.  Upon  raising  a  piece  of  the  bark,  already  loosened 
by  the  undermining  of  these  insects,  we  find  it  pierced  with 
holes  in  every  direction,  and  even  the  surface  of  the  wood  will 
be  seen  to  have  been  gnawed  by  these  little  miners.  After 
enjoying  themselves  abroad  for  a  few  days,  they  pair,  and 
begin  to  lay  their  eggs.  The  pitch-pine  is  most  generally 
chosen  by  them  for  this  pm-pose,  but  they  also  attack  other 
kinds  of  pines.  They  gnaw  little  holes  here  and  there  through 
the  rough  bark  of  the  trunk  and  limbs,  drop  their  eggs  therein, 
and,  after  this  labor  is  finished,  they  become  exhausted  and 
die.  In  the  autumn  the  grubs  hatched  from  these  eggs  will 
be  found  fully  grown.  They  have  a  short,  thick,  nearly  cylin- 
drical body,  ^^Tinkled  on  the  back,  are  somewhat  curved,  and 
of  a  yellowish  white  color,  with  a  horny  darker  colored  head, 
and  are  destitute  of  feet.  They  devour  the  soft  inner  substance 
of  the  bark,  boring  through  it  in  various  directions  for  this 
purpose,  and,  when  they  have  come  to  their  full  size,  they 
gnaw  a  passage  to  the  sm-face  for  their  escape  after  they  have 
completed  their  transformations.  These  take  place  deep  in 
their  burrows  late  in  the  autumn,  at  which  time  the  insects 
may  be  found  in  various  states  of  maturity,  within  the  bark. 
Their  depredations  interrupt  the  descent  of  the  sap,  and  pre- 


76  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

vent  the  formation  of  new  wood;  the  bark  becomes  loosened 
from  the  wood,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  and  the  tree  lan- 
guishes and  prematm-ely  decays.  The  name  of  this  insect  is 
Hi/lurg-us  terebrans*  the  boring  Hylurgus ;  the  generical  name 
signifying  a  carpenter,  or  worker  in  wood.  It  belongs  to  the 
family  Scolytid^e,  including  various  kinds  of  destructive  in- 
sects, which  may  be  called  cylindrical  bark-beetles.  The 
insects  of  tliis  family  may  be  recognized  by  the  following 
characters.  The  body  is  nearly  cylindrical,  obtuse  before  and 
behind,  and  generally  of  some  shade  of  brown.  The  head  is 
rounded,  sunk  pretty  deeply  in  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax,  and 
does  not  end  with  a  snout;  the  antennae  are  short,  more  or  less 
crooked  or  curved  in  the  middle,  and  end  with  an  oval  knob; 
the  feelers  are  very  short.  The  thorax  is  rather  long,  and  as 
broad  as  the  following  part  of  the  body.  The  wing-covers  are 
frequently  cut  off  obliquely  or  hollowed  at  the  hinder  extremity. 
The  legs  are  short  and  strong,  with  little  teeth  on  the  outer 
edge  or  extremity  of  the  shanks,  and  the  feet  are  not  wide  and 
spongy  beneath. 

Though  these  cylindrical  bark-beetles  are  of  small  size,  they 
multiply  very  fast,  and  where  they  abound  are  productive  of 
much  mischief,  particularly  in  forests,  which  are  often  greatly 
injured  by  their  larva?,  and  the  wood  is  rendered  unfit  for  the 
purposes  of  art.  In  the  year  1780,  an  insect  of  this  family 
made  its  appearance  in  the  pine-trees  of  one  of  the  mining 
districts  of  (Tcrmany,  where  it  increased  so  rapidly  that  in 
three  years  afterwards  whole  forests  had  disappeared  beneath 
its  ravages,  and  an  end  was  nearly  put  to  the  working  of  the 
extensive  mines  in  this  range  of  country,  for  the  want  of  fuel 
to  carry  on  the  operations.  Pines  and  firs  are  the  most  sub- 
ject to  their  attacks,  but  there  are  some  kinds  which  infest 
other  trees.  The  premature  decay  of  the  elm  in  some  parts 
of  Europe  is  occasioned  by  the  ravages  of  the  Scolytus  de- 
structor., of  which  an  interesting  account  was  ^vritten  in  1824, 
by  Mr.  Macleay.     An  abstract  of  his  paper  may  be  found  in 

*  Scohjtiis  terebrans  of  Olivier. 


COLEOPTERA.  77 

the  fifth  volume  of  the  "  New  England  Farmer."  *  The  larva? 
or  grubs  of  these  bark-beetles  resemble  those  of  the  Hyhirgiis 
terebrans  or  pine  bark-beetle  already  described.  Like  the 
grubs  of  the  weevils,  they  are  short  and  thick,  and  destitute 
of  legs. 

The  red  cedar  is  inhabited  by  a  very  small  bark -beetle,  named 
by  Mr.  Say  Hylurgus  dentatus,  the  toothed  Hylurgus.  It  is 
nearly  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  of  a  dark  brown 
color;  the  wing-cases  are  rough  with  little  grains,  which  be- 
come more  elevated  towards  the  hinder  part,  and  are  arranged 
in  longitudinal  rows,  with  little  furrows  between  them.  The 
tooth-like  appearance  of  these  little  elevations  suggested  the 
name  given  to  this  species.  The  female  bores  a  cylindrical 
passage  beneath  the  bark  of  the  cedar,  dropping  her  eggs  at 
short  intervals  as  she  goes  along,  and  dies  at  the  end  of  her 
burrow  when  her  eggs  are  all  laid.  The  gru.bs  hatched  from 
these  proceed  in  feeding  nearly  at  right  angles,  forming  on 
each  side  numerous  parallel  furrows,  smaller  than  the  central 
tube  of  the  female.  They  complete  their  transformations  in 
October,  and  eat  their  way  through  the  bark,  which  will  then 
be  seen  to  be  perforated  with  thousands  of  little  round  holes, 
through  which  the  beetles  have  escaped. 

Under  the  bark  of  the  pitch-pine  I  have  found,  in  company 
with  the  pine  bark-beetle,  a  more  slender  bark-beetle,  of  a  dark 
chestnut-brown  color,  clothed  with  a  few  short  yellowish  hairs, 
with  a  long,  almost  egg-shaped  thorax,  which  is  very  rough 
before,  and  short  wing-covers,  deeply  punctured  in  rows,  hol- 
lowed out  at  the  tip  like  a  gouge,  and  beset  around  the  outer 
edge  of  the  hollow  with  sLx  little  teeth  on  each  side.  This 
beetle  measures  one  fifth  of  an  inch,  or  rather  more,  in  length. 
It  arrives  at  maturity  in  the  autumn,  but  does  not  come  out  of 
the  bark  till  the  following  spring,  at  which  time  it  lays  its  eggs. 
It  is  the  Tomicus  exesus,  or  excavated  Tomicus;  the  specific 
name,  signifying  eaten  out  or  excavated,  was  given  to  it  by 
Mr.  Say  on  account  of  the  hollowed  and  bitten  appearance  of 
the  end  of  its  wing-covers.     Its  grubs  eat  zigzag  and  wavy 

«  Page  169. 


78  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

passages,  parallel  to  each  other,  between  the  bark  and  the 
wood.  They  are  much  less  common  in  the  New  England  than 
.in  the  Middle  and  Southern  States,  where  they  abound  in  the 
yellow  pines. 

Anotiier  bark-beetle  is  found  here,  closely  resembling  the 
preceding,  from  which  it  differs  chiefly  in  the  inferiority  of  its 
size,  being  but  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  in 
having  only  three  or  four  teeth  at  the  outer  extremity  of  each 
wing-cover.  It  is  the  Tomicvs  Pint  of  Mr.  Say.  The  grubs 
of  this  insect  are  very  injurious  to  pine-trees.  I  have  found 
them  under  the  bark  of  the  white  and  pitch  pine,  and  they 
have  also  been  discovered  in  the  larch.  The  beetles  appear 
during  the  month  of  August. 

There  is  another  small  bark-beetle,  the  Tomicus  liminaris  of 
my  Catalogue,  which  has  been  found,  in  great  numbers,  by 
Miss  Morris,  under  the  bark  of  peach-trees,  affected  with  the 
disease  called  the  pelloivs,  and  hence  supposed  by  her  to  be 
connected  with  this  malady.*  I  have  found  it  under  the  bark 
of  a  diseased  elm ;  but  have  nothing  more  to  offer,  from  my 
own  observations,  concerning  its  history,  except  that  it  com- 
pletes its  transformations  in  August  and  September.  It  is  of 
a  dark  brown  color;  the  thorax  is  punctured,  and  the  wing- 
covers  are  marked  with  deeply  punctured  furrows,  and  are 
beset  with  short  hairs.  It  does  not  average  one  tenth  of  an 
inch  in  length. 

The  pear-tree  in  New  England  has  been  found  to  be  subject 
to  a  peculiar  malady,  which  shows  itself  during  midsummer  by 
the  sudden  withering  of  the  leaves  and  fruit,  and  the  discolor- 
ation of  the  bark  of  one  or  more  of  the  limbs,  followed  by  the 
immediate  death  of  the  part  affected.  This  kind  of  blight,  as 
it  has  been  called,  being  oftenest  confined  to  a  single  branch, 
or  to  the  extremity  of  a  branch,  seems  to  be  a  local  affection 
only.  It  ends  with  the  death  of  the  branch,  down  to  a  certain 
point,  but  does  not  extend  below  the  seat  of  attack,  and  does 
not  affect  the  health  of  other  parts  of  the  tree.     In  June,  1816, 


*  Sec  Miss  Morris  on  the  Ycllo-\vs,  in  DoAvning's  Horticulturist.    Vol.  lY.  p. 
502. 


COLEOPTERA.  79 

the  Hon.  John  Lowell,  of  Roxbmy,  discovered  a  minute  insect 
in  one  of  the  affected  limbs  of  a  pear-tree ;  afterwards,  he  re- 
peatedly detected  the  same  insects  in  blasted  limbs,  and  his 
discoveries  have  been  confirmed  by  Mr.  Henry  Wheeler  and 
the  late  Dr.  Oliver  Fiske,  of  Worcester,  and  by  many  other 
persons.  j\Ir.  Lowell  submitted  the  limb  and  the  insect  con- 
tained therein  to  the  examination  of  Professor  Peck,  who  gave 
an  account  and  figure  of  the  latter,  in  the  fourth  volume  of  the 
"  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository  and  Journal."  From 
this  account,  and  from  the  subsequent  communication  by  Mr. 
Lowell,  in  the  fifth  volume  of  the  "  New  England  Farmer,"  it 
appears  that  the  grub  or  larva  of  the  insect  eats  its  way  inward 
through  the  alburnum  or  sap-wood  into  the  hardest  part  of  the 
wood,  beginning  at  the  root  of  a  bud,  behind  which  probably 
the  egg  was  deposited,  following  the  course  of  the  eye  of  the 
bud  towards  the  pith,  around  which  it  passes,  and  part  of 
which  it  also  consumes ;  thus  forming,  after  penetrating  through 
the  albm-num,  a  circular  burrow  or  passage  in  the  heart-wood, 
contiguous  to  the  pith  which  it  surrounds.  By  this  means  the 
central  vessels,  or  those  which  convey  the  ascending  sap,  are 
divided,  and  the  circulation  is  cut  off.  This  takes  place  when 
the  increasing  heat  of  the  atmosphere,  producing  a  greater 
transpiration  from  the  leaves,  renders  a  large  and  continued 
flow  of  sap  necessary  to  supply  the  evaporation.  For  the 
want  of  this,  or  from  some  other  unexplained  cause,  the  whole 
of  the  limb  above  the  seat  of  the  insect's  operations  suddenly 
withers,  and  perishes  during  the  intense  heat  of  midsummer. 
The  larva  is  changed  to  a  pupa,  and  subsequently  to  a  little 
beetle,  in  the  bottom  of  its  burrow,  makes  its  escape  from  the 
tree  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  or  beginning  of  July,  and  pro- 
bably deposits  its  eggs  before  August  has  passed.  This  insect, 
which  may  be  called  the  blig-ht-beetle,  from  the  injury  it  occa- 
sions, attacks  also  apple,  apricot,  and  plum  trees,  though  less 
frequently  than  pear-trees.  In  the  latter  part  of  May,  1848,  a 
piece  of  the  blighted  limb  of  an  apple-tree  was  sent  to  me  for 
examination.  It  was  twenty  eight  inches  in  length,  and  three 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  lower  end.  Its  surface 
bore  the  marks  of  twenty  buds,  thirteen  of  which  were  perfo- 


80  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  t6  VEGETATION. 

rated  by  the  insects;  and,  from  the  biUTOWs  within,  I  took 
twelve  of  the  blight-beetles  in  a  living  and  perfect  condition; 
the  thu^eenth  insect  having  previously  been  cut  out.  On  the 
ninth  of  July,  1844,  the  Hon.  M.  P.  Wilder  sent  to  me  a  piece 
of  a  branch  from  a  plum-tree,  which  contained,  within  the 
space  of  one  foot,  four  nests  or  branching  burrows,  in  each  of 
wliiili  several  insects  in  the  grub  and  chrysalis  state  were 
found,  and  also  one  that  had  completed  its  transformations. 
Soon  afterwards  I  caught  one  of  the  blight-beetles  on  a  plum- 
tree,  probably  about  to  lay  her  eggs.  In  the  following  month 
of  August,  I  received  a  blighted  branch  of  an  apricot-tree,  one 
inch  in  diameter  at  the  largest  end,  and  containing,  within  the 
short  distance  of  six  inches,  seven  or  eight  perfect  blight-beetles, 
each  in  a  separate  burrow,  and  vestiges  of  other  burrows  that 
had  been  destroyed  in  cutting  the  branch.*  This  little  beetle, 
which  is  only  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  was  named  Sco- 
lytns  Pyri,  the  pear-tree  Scolytus,  by  Professor  Peck.  It  is  of 
a  deep  brown  color,  with  the  antenna)  and  legs  of  the  color  of 
iron-rust.  The  thorax  is  short,  very  convex,  rounded  and  rough 
before ;  the  wing-covers  are  minutely  punctured  in  rows,  and 
slope  off  very  suddenly  and  obliquely  behind;  the  shanks  are 
widened  and  flattened  towards  the  end,  beset  with  a  few  little 
teeth  externally,  and  end  with  a  short  hook;  and  the  joints  of 
the  feet  are  slender  and  entire.  This  insect  cannot  be  retained 
in  the  genus  Scoli/tifs,  as  defined  by  modern  naturalists,  but  is 
to  be  placed  in  the  genus  Tomicus.  The  minuteness  of  the 
insect,  the  difficulty  attending  the  discovery  of  the  precise  seat 
of  its  operations  before  it  has  left  the  tree,  and  the  small  size 
of  the  aperture  through  which  it  makes  its  escape  from  the 
limb,  are  probably  the  reasons  why  it  has  eluded  the  researches 
of  those  persons  who  disbelieve  in  its  existence  as  the  cause 
of  the  blasting  of  the  limbs  of  the  pear-tree.  It  is  to  be  sought 
for  at  or  near  the  lowest  part  of  the  diseased  limbs,  and  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  buds  situated  about  that  part.     The 


*  See  my  communications  on  these  insects  in  the  Massachusetts  Ploughman 
for  June  17,  18i3.     Also  Downing's  Horticulturist  for  Feb.  1848,  Vol.  II.  p.  365. 


COLEOPTERA.  81 

remedy,  suggested  by  Mr.  Lowell  and  Professor  Peck,  to  pre- 
vent other  limbs  and  trees  from  being  subsequently  attacked 
in  the  same  way,  consists  in  cutting  off  the  blasted  limb  heloiv 
the  seat  of  injiu*y,  and  burning  it  before  the  perfect  insect  has 
made  its  escape.  It  will  therefore  be  necessary,  carefully  to 
examine  our  pear-trees  daily,  during  the  month  of  June,  and 
watch  for  the  first  indication  of  disease,  or  the  remedy  may  be 
applied  too  late  to  prevent  the  dispersion  of  the  insects  among 
other  trees. 

There  are  some  other  beetles,  much  like  the  preceding  in 
form,  whose  grubs  bore  into  the  solid  wood  of  trees.  They 
were  formerly  included  among  the  cylindrical  bark-beetles,  but 
have  been  separated  from  them  recently,  and  now  form  the 
family  Bostrichid^e,  or  Bostrichians.  Some  of  these  beetles 
are  of  large  size,  measuring  more  than  an  inch  in  length,  and, 
in  the  tropical  regions  where  they  are  found,  must  prove  very 
injurious  to  the  trees  they  inhabit.  The  body  in  these  beetles 
is  hard  and  cylindrical,  and  generally  of  a  black  color.  The 
thorax  is  bulging  before,  and  the  head  is  sunk  and  almost 
concealed  under  the  projecting  fore  part  of  it.  The  antennse 
are  of  moderate  length,  and  end  with  three  large  joints,  which 
are  saw-toothed  internally.  The  larvsB  are  mostly  wood-eaters, 
and  are  whitish  fleshy  grubs,  WTinkled  on  the  back,  furnished 
with  six  legs,  and  resemble  in  form  the  grubs  of  some  of  the 
small  Scarabeeians.  The  shagbark  or  walnut  tree  is  sometimes 
infested  by  the  grubs  of  the  red-shouldered  Apate,  or  Apate 
hasillaris  of  Say,  an  insect  of  this  family.  The  grubs  bore 
diametrically  through  the  trunks  of  the  walnut  to  the  very 
heart,  and  undergo  their  transformations  in  the  bottom  of  their 
burrows.  Several  trees  have  fallen  under  my  observation  which 
have  been  entirely  killed  by  these  insects.  The  beetles  are  of 
a  deep  black  color,  and  are  punctured  all  over.  The  thorax  is 
very  convex  and  rough  before ;  the  wing-covers  are  not  exca- 
vated at  the  tip,  but  they  slope  downwards  very  suddenly 
behind,  as  if  obliquely  cut  off,  the  outer  edge  of  the  cut  portion 
is  armed  with  three  little  teeth  on  each  wing-cover,  and  on  the 
base  or  shoulders  there  is  a  large  red  spot.  This  insect  mea- 
sures one  fifth  of  an  inch  or  more  in  length. 
11 


82  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  most  powerful  and  destructive  of  the  wood-eating 
insects  arc  the  grubs  of  the  long-horned  or  Capricorn-beetles 
(Cerambycid.1:),  called  borers  by  way  of  distinction.  There 
are  many  kinds  of  borers  which  do  not  belong  to  this  tribe. 
Some  of  them  have  already  been  described,  and  others  will  be 
mentioned  under  the  orders  to  which  they  belong.  Those  now 
under  consideration  diti'er  much  from  each  other  in  their  habits. 
Some  live  altogether  in  the  trunks  of  trees,  others  in  the  limbs; 
some  devour  the  wood,  others  the  pith ;  some  are  found  only 
in  shrubs,  some  in  the  stems  of  herbaceous  plants,  and  others 
are  confined  to  roots.  Certain  kinds  are  limited  to  plants  of 
one  species,  others  live  indiscriminately  upon  several  plants  of 
one  natural  family ;  but  the  same  kind  of  borer  is  not  known 
to  inhabit  plants  differing  essentially  from  each  other  in  their 
natural  characters.  As  might  be  expected  from  these  circum- 
stances, the  beetles  produced  from  these  borers  are  of  many 
different  kinds.  Nearly  one  hundred  species  have  been  found 
in  Massachusetts,  and  probably  many  more  remain  to  be  dis- 
covered. The  Capricorn-beetles  agree  in  the  following  respects. 
The  antennae  are  long  and  tapering,  and  generally  curved  like 
the  horns  of  a  goat,  which  is  the  origin  of  the  name  above 
given  to  these  beetles.  The  body  is  oblong,  approaching  to  a 
cylindrical  form,  a  little  flattened  above,  and  tapering  some- 
what behind.  The  head  is  short,  and  armed  with  powerful 
jaws.  The  thorax  is  either  square,  ban-el-shaped,  or  narrowed 
before;  and  is  not  so  wide  behind  as  the  wing-covers.  The 
legs  are  long;  the  thighs  thickened  in  the  middle;  the  feet 
four-jointed,  not  formed  for  rapid  motion,  but  for  standing 
securely,  being  broad  and  cushioned  beneath,  with  the  third 
joint  deeply  notched.  Most  of  these  beetles  remain  upon  trees 
and  shrubs  during  the  daytime,  but  fly  abroad  at  night.  Some 
of  them,  however,  fly  by  day,  and  may  be  found  on  flowers, 
feeding  on  the  pollen  and  the  blossoms.  When  annoyed  or 
taken  into  the  hands,  they  make  a  squeaking  sound  by  rubbing 
the  joints  of  the  thorax  and  abdomen  together.  The  females 
are  generally  larger  and  more  robust  than  the  males,  and  have 
rather  shorter  antennfc.  Moreover  they  are  provided  with  a 
jointed  tube  at  the  end  of  the  body,  capable  of  being  extended 


COLEOPTERA.  83 

or  drawn  in  like  the  joints  of  a  telescope,  by  means  of  which 
they  convey  their  eggs  into  the  holes  and  chinks  of  the  bark  of 
plants. 

The  larvae  hatched  from  these  eggs  are  long,  whitish,  fleshy 
grubs,  with  the  transverse  incisions  of  the  body  very  deeply 
marked,  so  that  the  rings  are  very  convex  or  hunched  both 
above  and  below.  The  body  tapers  a  little  behind,  and  is 
blunt-pointed.  The  head  is  much  smaller  than  the  first  ring, 
slightly  bent  downwards,  of  a  horny  consistence,  and  is  pro- 
vided with  short  but  very  powerful  jaws,  by  means  whereof 
the  insect  can  bore,  as  with  a  centre-bit,  a  cylindrical  passage 
through  the  most  solid  wood.  Some  of  these  borers  have  six 
very  small  legs,  namely,  one  pair  under  each  of  the  first  three 
rings ;  but  most  of  them  want  even  these  short  and  imperfect 
limbs,  and  move  through  their  burrows  by  the  alternate  exten- 
sion and  contraction  of  their  bodies,  on  each  or  on  most  of  the 
rings  of  which,  both  above  and  below,  there  is  an  oval  space 
covered  with  little  elevations,  somewhat  like  the  teeth  of  a  fine 
rasp ;  and  these  little  oval  rasps,  which  are  designed  to  aid  the 
grubs  in  their  motions,  fully  make  up  to  them  the  want  of 
proper  feet.  Some  of  these  borers  always  keep  one  end  of 
their  burrows  open,  out  of  which,  from  time  to  time,  they  cast 
their  chips,  resembling  coarse  sawdust;  others,  as  fast  as  they 
proceed,  fiU  up  the  passages  behind  them  with  their  castings, 
well  known  here  by  the  name  of  powder-post.  These  borers 
live  from  one  year  to  three,  or  perhaps  more  years  before  they 
come  to  their  growth.  They  undergo  their  transformations  at 
the  furthest  extremity  of  their  bmTows,  many  of  them  pre- 
viously gnawing  a  passage  through  the  wood  to  the  inside  of 
the  bark,  for  their  future  escape.  The  pupa  is  at  first  soft  and 
whitish,  and  it  exhibits  aU  the  parts  of  the  futm-e  beetle  under 
a  filmy  veil  which  inwraps  every  limb.  The  wings  and  legs 
are  folded  upon  the  breast,  the  long  antennae  are  tiuned  back 
against  the  sides  of  the  body,  and  then  bent  forwards  between 
the  legs.  When  the  beetle  has  thrown  off  its  pupa-skin,  it 
gnaws  away  the  thin  coat  of  bark  that  covers  the  mouth  of 
its  burrow,  and  comes  out  of  its  dark  and  confined  retreat,  to 
breathe  the  fresh  air,  and  to  enjoy  for  the  first  time  the  pleasm'e 


84  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  sight,  and  the  use  of  tlie  legs  and  wings  with  which  it  is 

provided. 

The  Capricorn-beetles  have  been  divided  into  three  families, 
corre5i)onding  with  the  genera  Prioniis,  Cerambi/x,  and  Leptura 
of  Linnajus.  Those  belonging  to  the  first  family  are  generally 
of  a  brown  color,  have  flattened  and  saw-toothed  or  beaded 
antenna?  of  a  moderate  length,  projecting  jaws,  and  kidney- 
shaped  eyes.  Those  in  the  second  have  eyes  of  the  same 
shape,  more  slender  or  much  longer  antennas,  and  smaller 
jaws;  and  are  often  variegated  in  their  colors.  The  beetles 
belonging  to  the  third  family  are  readily  distinguished  by  their 
eyes,  which  are  round  and  prominent.  These  three  families 
are  divided  into  many  smaller  groups  and  genera,  the  peculi- 
arities of  which  cannot  be  particularly  pointed  out  in  a  work 
of  this  kind. 

The  Prionians,  or  Prionid-e,  derive  their  name  from  a  Greek 
word  signifying  a  saw,  which  has  been  applied  to  them  either 
because  the  antennae,  in  most  of  these  beetles,  consists  of  flat- 
tened joints,  projecting  internally  somewhat  like  the  teeth  of  a 
saw,  or  on  account  of  their  upper  jaws,  which  sometimes  are 
very  long  and  toothed  within.  It  is  said  that  some  of  the 
beetles  thus  armed  can  saw  off"  large  limbs  by  seizing  them 
between  their  jaws,  and  flying  or  whirling  sidewise  round  the 
enclosed  limb,  till  it  is  completely  divided.  The  largest  insects 
of  the  Capricorn  tribe  belong  to  this  family,  some  of  the  tro- 
pical species  measuring  five  or  six  inches  in  length,  and  one 
inch  and  a  half  or  t^vo  inches  in  breadth.  Their  larvae  are 
broader  and  more  flattened  than  the  grubs  of  the  other  Capri- 
corn-beetles, and  are  provided  with  six  very  short  legs.  When 
about  to  be  transformed,  they  collect  a  quantity  of  their  chips 
around  them,  and  make  therewith  an  oval  pod  or  cocoon,  to 
enclose  themselves. 

Our  largest  species  is  the  broad-necked  Prionus,  Prionus 
laticollis*  of  Drury,  its  first  describer.  It  is  of  a  long  oval 
shape  and  of  a  pitchy  black  color.  The  jaws,  thovigh  short, 
are  very  thick  and  strong;  the  antennae  are  stout  and  saw- 

*  Prionus  brevicornis  of  Fabricius. 


COLEOPTERA.  85 

toothed  in  the  male,  and  more  slender  in  the  other  sex;  the 
thorax  is  short  and  wide,  and  armed  on  the  lateral  edges  with 
three  teeth;  the  wing-covers  have  three  slightly  elevated  lines 
on  each  of  them,  and  are  rough  with  a  multitude  of  large 
punctures,  which  run  together  irregularly.  It  measures  from 
one  inch  and  one  eighth,  to  one  inch  and  three  quarters  in 
length ;  the  females  being  always  much  larger  than  the  males. 
The  grubs  of  this  beetle,  when  fully  grown,  are  as  thick  as  a 
man's  thumb.  They  live  in  the  trunks  and  roots  of  the  balm 
of  gilead,  Lombardy  poplar,  and  probably  in  those  of  other 
kinds  of  poplar  also.  The  beetles  may  frequently  be  seen 
upon,  or  flying  round  the  trunks  of  these  trees  in  the  month  of 
July,  even  in  the  daytime,  though  the  other  kinds  of  Prionus 
generally  fly  only  by  night. 

The  one-colored  Prionus,  Prionus  tmicolor  *  of  Drury,  inhabits 
pine-trees.  Its  body  is  long,  narrow,  and  flattened,  of  a  light 
bay-brown  color,  with  the  head  and  antennae  darker.  The 
thorax  is  very  short,  and  armed  on  each  side  with  three  sharp 
teeth;  the  wing-covers  are  nearly  of  equal  breadth  throughout, 
and  have  three  slightly  elevated  ribs  on  each  of  them.  This 
beetle  measures  from  one  inch  and  one  quarter,  to  one  inch 
and  a  half  in  length,  and  about  three  or  four  tenths  of  an  inch 
in  breadth.  It  flies  by  night,  and  frequently  enters  houses  in 
the  evening,  from  the  middle  of  July  to  September. 

The  second  family  of  the  Capricorn-beetles  may  be  allowed 
to  retain  the  scientific  name,  Cerambycid^,  of  the  tribe  to 
which  it  belongs.  The  Cerambycians  have  not  the  very  promi- 
nent jaws  of  the  Prionians;  their  eyes  are  always  kidney- 
shaped  or  notched  for  the  reception  of  the  first  joint  of  the 
antennae,  which  are  not  saw-toothed,  but  generally  slender  and 
tapering,  sometimes  of  moderate  length,  sometimes  excessively 
long,  especially  in  the  males;  the  thorax  is  longer  and  more 
convex  than  in  the  preceding  family,  not  thin-edged,  but  often 
rounded  at  the  sides. 

Some  of  these  beetles,  distinguished  by  their  narrow  wing- 
covers,  which  are  notched  or  armed  with  two  little  thorns  at 

*  P.  cylindricus  of  Fabricius. 


86  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  A^GETATION. 

the  tip,  and  by  the  great  length  of  their  antennae,  belong  to 
the  genus  Stcnoconis,  a  name  signifying  narrow  or  straitened. 
One  of  them,  which  is  rare  here,  inhabits  the  hickory,  in  its 
larva  state  forming  long  galleries  in  the  trunk  of  this  tree  in 
the  direction  of  the  fibres  of  the  wood.  This  beetle  is  the 
Stcnocorus  ( Ccrasphorus)  ductus*  or  banded  Stenocorus.  It 
is  of  a  hazel  color,  with  a  tint  of  gray,  arising  from  the  short 
hairs  with  which  it  is  covered;  there  is  an  oblique  ochre-yellow 
band  across  each  wing-cover;  and  a  short  spine  or  thorn  on 
the  middle  of  each  side  of  the  thorax.  The  antennae  of  the 
males  are  more  than  twice  the  length  of  the  body,  which 
measures  from  three  quarters  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  and  one 
quarter  in  length. 

The  srround  beneath  black  and  white  oaks  is  often  observed 
to  be  strewn  with  small  branches,  neatly  severed  from  these 
trees  as  if  cut  off"  with  a  saw.  Upon  splitting  open  the  cut 
end  of  a  branch,  in  the  autumn  or  winter  after  it  has  fallen,  it 
will  be  found  to  be  perforated  to  the  extent  of  six  or  eight 
inches  in  the  course  of  the  pith,  and  a  slender  grub,  the  author 
of  the  mischief,  will  be  discovered  therein.  In  the  spring  this 
grub  is  transformed  to  a  pupa,  and  in  June  or  July  it  is 
changed  to  a  beetle,  and  comes  out  of  the  branch.  The  his- 
tory of  this  insect  was  first  made  public  by  Professor  Peck,f 
who  called  it  the  oak-pruner,  or  Stenocorus  [Elaphidion) putator. 
In  its  adult  state  it  is  a  slender  long-horned  beetle,  of  a  dull 
brown  color,  sprinkled  with  gray  spots,  composed  of  very  short 
close  hairs ;  the  antennae  are  longer  than  the  body,  in  the 
males,  and  eqvial  to  it  in  length  in  the  other  sex,  and  the  third 
and  fourth  joints  are  tipped  with  a  small  spine  or  thorn ;  the 
thorax  is  barrel-shaped,  and  not  spined  at  the  sides ;  and  the 
scutel  is  yellowish  white.  It  varies  in  length  from  four  and  a 
half  to  six  tenths  of  an  inch.  It  lays  its  eggs  in  July.  Each 
egg  is  placed  close  to  the  axilla  or  joint  of  a  leaf-stalk  or  of  a 
small  twig,  near  the  extremity  of  a  branch.  The  gi-ub  hatched 
from  it  penetrates  at  that  spot  to  the  pith,  and  then  continues 


*   Ceramhyx  cindus,  Drury  ;  Stenocorus  garganicus,  Fabricius. 

t  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository  and  Journal.     Vol.  Y.,  with  a  plate. 


COLEOPTERA.  87 

its  course  towards  the  body  of  the  tree,  devouring  the  pith,  and 
thereby  forming  a  cylindrical  burrow,  several  inches  in  length, 
in  the  centre  of  the  branch.  Having  reached  its  full  size, 
which  it  does  towards  the  end  of  the  summer,  it  divides  the 
branch  at  the  lower  end  of  its  burrow,  by  gnawing  away  the 
wood  transversely  from  within,  leaving  only  the  ring  of  bark 
untouched.  It  then  retires  backwards,  stops  up  the  end  of  its 
hole,  near  the  transverse  section,  with  fibres  of  the  wood,  and 
awaits  the  fall  of  the  branch,  which  is  usually  broken  off'  and 
precipitated  to  the  ground  by  the  autumnal  winds.  The  leaves 
of  the  oak  are  rarely  shed  before  the  branch  falls,  and  thus 
serve  to  break  the  shock.  Branches  of  five  or  six  feet  in  length 
and  an  inch  in  diameter  are  thus  severed  by  these  insects,  a 
kind  of  pruning  that  must  be  injurious  to  the  trees,  and 
should  be  guarded  against  if  possible.  By  collecting  the 
fallen  branches  in  the  autumn,  and  burning  them  before  the 
spring,  we  prevent  the  development  of  the  beetles,  while  we 
derive  some  benefit  from  the  branches  as  fuel. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that,  while  the  pine  and  fir  tribes 
rarely  suffer  to  any  extent  from  the  depredations  of  caterpillars 
and  other  leaf-eating  insects,  the  resinous  odor  of  these  trees, 
offensive  as  it  is  to  such  insects,  does  not  prevent  many  lands 
of  borers  from  burrowing  into  and  destroying  their  trunks. 
Several  of  the  Capricorn-beetles,  while  in  the  grub  state,  live 
only  in  pine  and  fir  trees,  or  in  timber  of  these  kinds  of  wood. 
They  belong  chiefly  to  the  genus  Callidkmi,  a  name  of  un- 
known or  obscure  origin.  Their  antennaB  are  of  moderate 
length ;  they  have  a  somewhat  flattened  body ;  the  head  nods 
forward,  as  in  Stenocorus ;  the  thorax  is  broad,  nearly  circular, 
and  somewhat  flattened  or  indented  above  ;  and  the  thighs  are 
very  slender  next  to  the  body,  but  remarkably  thick  beyond 
the  middle.  The  larv^  are  of  moderate  length,  more  flattened 
than  the  grubs  of  the  other  Capricorn-beetles,  have  a  very 
broad  and  horny  head,  small  but  powerful  jaws,  and  are  pro- 
vided with  sLx  extremely  small  legs.  They  undermine  the 
bark,  and  perforate  the  wood  in  various  directions,  often  doing 
immense  injury  to  the  trees,  and  to  new  buildings,  in  the  lum- 
ber composing  which  they  may  happen  to  be  concealed.     Their 


88  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

burrows  are  wide  and  not  cylindrical,  are  very  winding,  and 
are  filled  up  with  a  kind  of  compact  sawdust  as  fast  as  the 
insects  advance.  The  larva  state  is  said  to  continue  two  years, 
during  which  period  the  insects  cast  their  skins  several  times. 
The  sides  of  the  body  in  the  pupa  are  thin-edged,  and  finely 
notclicd,  and  the  tail  is  forked. 

One  of  the  most  common  kinds  of  Callidmm  found  here  is 
a  flattish,  rusty  black  beetle,  with  some  downy  whitish  spots 
across  the  middle  of  the  wing-covers ;  the  thorax  is  nearly  cir- 
cular, is  covered  with  fine  whitish  down,  and  has  two  elevated 
polished  black  points  upon  it ;  and  the  wing  covers  are  very 
coarsely  punctured.  It  measures  from  four  tenths  to  three 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  length.  This  insect  is  the  Callidium 
hajvlus ;  the  second  name,  meaning  a  porter,  was  given  to  it 
by  Linna?us  on  account  of  the  whitish  patch  which  it  bears  on 
its  back.  It  inhabits  fir,  spruce,  and  hemlock  wood  and  lum- 
ber, and  may  often  be  seen  on  wooden  buildings  and  fences  in 
July  and  August.  We  are  informed  by  Kirby  and  Spence 
that  the  grubs  sometimes  greatly  injure  the  wood-work  of 
houses  in  London,  piercing  the  rafters  of  the  roofs  in  every 
direction,  and,  when  arrived  at  maturity,  even  penetrating 
through  sheets  oF  lead  which  covered  the  place  of  their  exit. 
One  piece  of  lead,  only  eight  inches  long  and  four  broad,  con- 
tained twelve  oval  holes  made  by  these  insects,  and  fragments 
of  the  lead  were  found  in  their  stomachs.  As  this  insect  is 
now  common  in  the  maritime  parts  of  the  United  States,  it 
was  probably  first  brought  to  this  country  by  vessels  from 
Europe. 

The  violet  Callidium,  Callidium  violaceum*  is  of  a  Prussian 
blue  or  violet  color ;  the  thorax  is  transversely  oval,  and  downy, 
and  sometimes  has  a  greenish  tinge ;  and  the  wing-covers  are 
rough  with  thick  irregular  punctures.  Its  length  varies  from 
four  to  sLx  tenths  of  an  inch.  It  may  be  found  in  great 
abundance  on  piles  of  pine  wood,  from  the  middle  of  May  to 
the  first  of  June ;  and  the  larvae  and  pupae  are  often  met  with 
in  splitting  the  wood.     They  live  mostly  just  under  the  bark, 

♦  Cerambyx  violaceua  of  Linnaeus. 


COLEOPTERA.  89 

where  their  broad  and  winding  tracks  may  be  traced  by  the 
hardened  sawdust  with  which  they  are  crowded.  Just  before 
they  are  about  to  be  transformed,  they  bore  into  the  solid 
wood  to  the  depth  of  several  inches.  They  are  said  to  be 
very  injurious  to  the  sapling  pines  in  Maine.  Professor  Peck 
supposed  this  species  of  Callidium  to  have  been  introduced 
into  Europe  in  timber  exported  from  this  country,  as  it  is 
found  in  most  parts  of  that  continent  that  have  been  mvich 
connected  with  North  America  by  navigation.  Thus  Europe 
and  America  seem  to  have  interchanged  the  porter  and  violet 
Callidium,  which,  by  means  of  shipping,  have  now  become 
common  to  the  two  continents. 

From  the  regularity  of  its  form,  and  the  noble  size  it  attains, 
the  sugar  maple  is  accounted  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  our 
forest-trees,  and  is  esteemed  as  one  of  the  most  valuable,  on 
account  of  its  many  useful  properties.  This  fine  tree  suffers 
much  from  the  attacks  of  borers,  which  in  some  cases  produce 
its  entire  destruction.  We  are  indebted  to  the  Rev.  L.  W. 
Leonard,  of  Dublin,  N.  H.,  for  the  first  account  of  the  habits 
and  transformations  of  these  borers.  In  the  summer  of  1828, 
his  attention  was  called  to  some  young  maples,  in  Keene, 
which  were  in  a  languishing  condition.  He  discovered  the 
insect  in  its  beetle  state  under  the  loosened  bark  of  one  of  the 
trees,  and  traced  the  recent  track  of  the  larva  three  inches  into 
the  solid  wood.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years,  these  trees, 
upon  the  cultivation  of  which  much  care  had  been  bestowed, 
were  nearly  destroyed  by  the  borers.  The  failure,  from  the 
same  cause,  of  several  other  attempts  to  raise  the  sugar  maple, 
has  since  come  to  my  knowledge.  The  insects  are  changed 
to  beetles,  and  come  out  of  the  trunks  of  the  trees  in  July.  In 
the  vicinity  of  Boston,  specimens  have  been  repeatedly  taken, 
which  were  undoubtedly  brought  here  in  maple  logs  from 
Maine.  The  beetle  was  first  described  in  1824,  in  the  Appen- 
dix to  Keating's  "  Narrative  of  Long's  Expedition,"  by  Mr. 
Say,  who  called  it  Clt/tus  speciosus ;  that  is,  the  beautiful 
Clytus.  It  was  afterwards  inserted,  and  accurately  repre- 
sented by  the  pencil  of  Lesueur,  in  Say's  "  American  Entomo- 
logy," and,  more  recently,  a  description  and  figure  of  it  has 
12 


90  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

appeared  in  Griffith's  translation  of  Cuvier's  "  Animal  King- 
dom," under  the  name  of  Clytus  Haijii.  The  beautiful  Clytus, 
like  the  other  beetles  of  the  genus  to  which  it  belongs,  is 
distinguished  from  a  Callidium  by  its  more  convex  form,  its 
more  nearly  globular  thorax,  which  is  neither  flattened  nor 
indented,  and  by  its  more  slender  thighs.  The  head  is  yellow, 
with  the  antenntE  and  the  eyes  reddish  black ;  the  thorax  is 
black,  with  two  transverse  yellow  spots  on  each  side ;  the 
wing-covers,  for  about  two  thirds  of  their  length,  are  black, 
the  remaining  third  is  yellow,  and  they  are  ornamented  with 
bands  and  spots  arranged  in  the  following  manner :  a  yellow 
spot  on  each  shoulder,  a  broad  yellow  curved  band  or  arch,  of 
which  the  yellow  scutel  forms  the  key-stone,  on  the  base  of 
the  wing-covers,  behind  this  a  zigzag  yellow  band  forming  the 
letter  W,  across  the  middle  another  yellow  band  arching  back- 
wards, and  on  the  yellow  tip  a  curved  band  and  a  spot  of  a 
black  color ;  the  legs  are  yellow ;  and  the  under  side  of  the 
body  is  reddish  yellow,  variegated  with  brown.  It  is  the 
largest  known  species  of  Clytus,  being  from  nine  to  eleven 
tenths  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  three  or  four  tenths  in  breadth. 
It  lays  its  eggs  on  the  trunk  of  the  maple  in  July  and  August. 
The  grubs  burrow  into  the  bark  as  soon  as  they  are  hatched, 
and  are  thus  protected  during  the  winter.  In  the  spring  they 
penetrate  deeper,  and  form,  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  long 
and  winding  galleries  in  the  wood,  up  and  down  the  trunk. 
In  order  to  check  their  devastations,  they  should  be  sought  for 
in  the  spring,  when  they  will  readily  be  detected  by  the  saw- 
dust that  they  cast  out  of  their  burrows ;  and,  by  a  judicious 
use  of  a  knife  and  stiff  wire,  they  may  be  cut  out  or  destroyed 
before  they  have  gone  deeply  into  the  wood. 

Many  kinds  of  Clytus  frequent  flowers,  for  the  sake  of  the 
pollen,  which  they  devour.  During  the  month  of  September, 
the  painted  Clytus,  C/jjtus  pictus*  is  often  seen  in  abundance, 
feeding  by  day  upon  the  blossoms  of  the  golden-rod.  If  the 
trunks  of  our  common  locust-tree,  Rohinia  pseudacacia,  are 
examined  at  this  time,  a  still  greater  number  of  these  beetles 

•  Leptura  picta,  Drury ;  Clj/tua  flexuosus,  Fabricius. 


COLEOPTERA.  91 

will  be  found  upon  them,  and  most  often  paired.  The  habits 
of  this  insect  seem  to  have  been  known,  as  long  ago  as  the 
year  1771,  to  Dr.  John  Reinhold  Foster,  who  then  described  it 
under  the  name  of  Leptura  Robinice,  the  latter  being  derived 
from  the  tree  which  it  inhabits.  Drury,  however,  had  pre- 
viously described  and  figured  it,  under  the  specific  name  here 
adopted,  which,  having  the  priority,  in  point  of  time,  over  all 
the  others  that  have  been  subsequently  imposed,  must  be 
retained.  This  Capricorn-beetle  has  the  form  of  the  beautiful 
maple  Clytus.  It  is  velvet-black,  and  ornamented  with  trans- 
verse yellow  bands,  of  which  there  are  three  on  the  head,  four 
on  the  thorax,  and  six  on  the  wing-covers,  the  tips  of  which 
are  also  edged  with  yellow.  The  first  and  second  bands  on 
each  wing-cover  are  nearly  straight ;  the  thnd  band  forms  a  V, 
or,  united  with  the  opposite  one,  a  W,  as  in  the  speciosus;  tJie 
fourth  is  also  angled,  and  runs  upwards  on  the  inner  margin  of 
the  wing-cover  towards  the  scutel;  the  fifth  is  broken  or  inter- 
rupted by  a  longitudinal  elevated  line ;  and  the  sixth  is  arched, 
and  consists  of  three  little  spots.  The  antennae  are  dark  brown ; 
and  the  legs  are  rust-red.  These  insects  vary  from  six  tenths 
to  three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  length. 

In  the  month  of  September  these  beetles  gather  on  the 
locust-trees,  where  they  may  be  seen  glittering  in  the  sunbeams 
with  their  gorgeous  livery  of  black  velvet  and  gold,  coursing 
up  and  down  the  trunks  in  pursuit  of  their  mates,  or  to  drive 
away  their  rivals,  and  stopping  every  now  and  then  to  salute 
those  they  meet  with  a  rapid  bowing  of  the  shoulders,  accom- 
panied by  a  creaking  sound,  indicative  of  recognition  or  defi- 
ance. Having  paired,  the  female,  attended  by  her  partner, 
creeps  over  the  bark,  searching  the  crevices  with  her  antenna?, 
and  dropping  therein  her  snow-white  eggs,  in  clusters  of  seven 
or  eight  together,  and  at  intervals  of  five  or  six  minutes,  till 
her  whole  stock  is  safely  stored.  The  eggs  are  soon  hatched, 
and  the  grubs  immediately  burrow  into  the  bark,  devouring 
the  soft  inner  substance  that  suffices  for  their  nourishment  till 
the  approach  of  winter,  during  which  they  remain  at  rest  in  a 
torpid  state.  In  the  spring  they  bore  through  the  sap-wood, 
more  or  less  deeply  into  the  trunk,  the  general  course  of  their 


98  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

winding  and  irregular  passages  being  in  an  upward  direction 
from  the  place  of  their  entrance.  For  a  time  they  cast  then- 
chips  out  of  their  holes  as  fast  as  they  are  luade,  but  after  a 
while  the  passage  becomes  clogged  and  the  burrow  more  or 
less  filled  with  the  coarse  and  fibrous  fragments  of  wood,  to 
get  rid  of  which  the  grubs  are  often  obliged  to  open  new  holes 
through  the  bark.  The  seat  of  their  operations  is  known  by 
the  oozing  of  the  sap  and  the  dropping  of  the  sawdust  from 
the  holes.  The  bark  around  the  part  attacked  begins  to  swell, 
and  in  a  few  years  the  trunks  and  limbs  will  become  disfigured 
and  weakened  by  large  porous  tumors,  caused  by  the  efforts  of 
the  trees  to  repair  the  injuries  they  have  suffered.  According 
to  the  observations  of  General  H.  A.  S.  Dearborn,  who  has 
given  an  excellent  account*  of  this  insect,  the  grubs  attain 
their  full  size  by  the  twentieth  of  July,  soon  become  pupae, 
and  are  changed  to  beetles  and  leave  the  trees  early  in  Sep- 
tember. Thus  the  existence  of  this  species  is  limited  to  one 
year. 

Whitewashing,  and  covering  the  trunks  of  the  trees  with 
grafting  composition,  may  prevent  the  female  from  depositing 
her  eggs  upon  them ;  but  this  practice  cannot  be  carried  to  any 
great  extent  in  plantations  or  large  nurseries  of  the  trees.  Per- 
haps it  will  be  useful  to  head  down  young  trees  to  the  ground, 
with  the  view  of  destroying  the  grubs  contained  in  them,  as 
well  as  to  promote  a  more  vigorous  growth.  Much  evil  might 
be  prevented  by  employing  children  to  collect  the  beetles  while 
in  the  act  of  providing  for  the  continuation  of  their  kind.  A 
common  black  bottle,  containing  a  little  water,  would  be  a 
suitable  vessel  to  receive  the  beetles  as  fast  as  they  were  gath- 
ered, and  should  be  emptied  into  the  fire  in  order  to  destroy 
the  insects.  The  gathering  should  be  begun  as  soon  as  the 
beetles  first  appear,  and  should  be  continued  as  long  as  any 
are  found  on  the  trees,  and  furthermore  should  be  made  a 
general  business  for  several  years  in  succession.  I  have  no 
doubt,  should  this  be  done,  that,  by  devoting  one  hour  every 
day  to  this  object,  we  may,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  rid 
ourselves  of  this  destructive  insect. 

*  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository  and  Journal,  Vol.  VI.  p.  272. 


COLEOPTERA.  93 

The  largest  Capricorn-beetle,  of  the  Cerambycian  family, 
found  in  New  England,  is  the  Lamia  {Monohammus)  titillator 
of  Fabricius,  or  the  tickler,  so  named  probably  on  account  of 
the  habit  which  it  has,  in  common  with  most  of  the  Capricorn- 
beetles,  of  gently  touching  now  and  then  the  sm-face  on  which 
it  walks  with  the  tips  of  its  long  antennae.  Three  or  four  of 
these  beetles  may  sometimes  be  seen  together  in  June  and 
July,  on  logs  or  on  the  trunks  of  trees  in  the  woods,  the  males 
paying  their  court  to  the  females,  or  contending  with  their 
rivals,  waving  their  antennae,  and  showing  the  eagerness  of 
the  contest  or  pursuit  by  their  rapid  creaking  sounds. 

The  head  of  the  Lamias  is  vertical  or  perpendicular;  the 
antennae  of  the  males  are  much  longer  than  the  body,  and 
taper  to  the  end ;  the  thorax  is  cylindrical  before  and  behind, 
and  is  armed  on  the  middle  of  each  side  with  a  very  large 
pointed  wart  or  tubercle;  the  tips  of  the  wing-covers  are 
rounded;  and  the  fore  legs  are  longer  than  the  rest,  with 
broad  hauy  soles  in  the  males. 

The  titillator  is  of  a  brownish  color,  variegated  or  mottled 
with  spots  of  gray,  and  the  wing-covers,  which  are  coarsely 
punctured,  have  also  several  small  tufted  black  spots  upon 
them ;  the  middle  legs  are  armed  with  a  small  tooth  on  the 
upper  edge ;  the  antennae  of  the  male  are  twice  as  long  as  the 
body,  and  those  of  the  other  sex  equal  the  body  in  length, 
which  measures  from  one  inch  and  one  eighth  to  one  inch 
and  one  quarter.  What  kind  of  tree  the  grub  of  this  insect 
inhabits  is  unknown  to  me. 

Trees  of  the  poplar  tribe,  both  in  Europe  and  America,  are 
subject  to  the  attacks  of  certain  kinds  of  borers,  differing 
essentially  from  all  the  foregoing  when  arrived  at  maturity. 
They  belong  to  the  genus  Saperda.  In  the  beetle  state  the 
head  is  vertical,  the  antennae  are  about  the  length  of  the  body 
in  both  sexes,  the  thorax  is  cylindrical,  smooth,  and  unarmed 
at  the  sides,  and  the  fore  legs  are  shorter  than  the  others.  Our 
largest  kind  is  the  Saperda  calcarata  of  Say,  or  the  spurred 
Saperda,  so  named  because  the  tips  of  the  wing-covers  end 
with  a  little  sharp  point  or  spur.  It  is  covered  all  over  wath  a 
short  and  close  nap,  which  gives  it  a  fine  blue-gray  color,  it  is 


94,  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

finely  punctured  with  brown,  there  are  four  ochre-yellow  lines 
on  the  head,  and  three  on  the  top  of  the  thorax,  the  scutel  is 
also  ochre-yellow,  and  there  arc  several  irregular  lines  and  spots 
of  the  same  color  on  the  wing-covers.  It  is  from  one  inch  to 
an  inch  and  a  quarter  in  length.  This  beetle  closely  resembles 
the  European  Saperda  carcharias,  which  inhabits  the  poplar; 
and  the  grubs  of  our  native  species,  with  those  of  the  broad- 
necked  Prionus,  have  almost  entirely  destroyed  the  Lombardy 
poplar  in  this  vicinity.  They  live  also  in  the  trunks  of  our 
American  poplars.  They  are  of  a  yellowish  white  color,  ex- 
cept the  upper  part  of  the  first  segment,  which  is  dark  buff. 
When  fully  grown  they  measure  nearly  two  inches  in  length. 
The  body  is  very  thick,  rather  larger  before  than  behind,  and 
consists  of  twelve  segments  separated  from  each  other  by  deep 
transverse  furrows.  The  first  segment  is  broad,  and  slopes 
obliquely  downwards  to  the  head;  the  second  is  very  narrow; 
on  the  upper  and  under  sides  of  each  of  the  following'segments, 
from  the  third  to  the  tenth  inclusive,  there  is  a  transverse  oval 
space,  rendered  rough  like  a  rasp  by  minute  projections.  These 
rasps  serve  instead  of  legs,  which  are  entirely  wanting.  The 
beetles  may  be  found  on  the  trunks  and  branches  of  the  vari- 
ous kinds  of  poplars,  in  August  and  September;  they  fly  by 
night,  and  sometimes  enter  the  open  windows  of  houses  in  the 
evening. 

The  borers  of  the  apple-tree  have  become  notorious,  through- 
out the  New  England  and  Middle  States,  for  their  extensive 
ravages.  They  are  the  larvas  of  a  beetle  called  Saperda  hivit- 
tata*  by  Mr.  Say,  the  two-striped,  or  the  brown  and  white 
striped  Saperda;  the  upper  side  of  its  body  being  marked 
with  two  longitudinal  white  stripes  betw^een  three  of  a  light 
brown  color,  while  the  face,  the  antennae,  the  under  side  of  the 
body,  and  the  legs,  are  white.  This  beetle  varies  in  length 
from  a  little  more  than  one  half  to  three  quarters  of  an  inch. 
It  comes  'forth  from  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  in  its  perfected 
state,  early  in  June,  making  its  escape  in  the  night,  during 
which  time  only  it  uses  its  ample  wings  in  going  from  tree  to 

*  Saperda  Candida  f  Fabricius. 


COLEOPTERA.  95 

tree  in  search  of  companions  and  food.  In  tlie  daytime  it 
keeps  at  rest  among  the  leaves  of  the  plants  which  it  devours. 
The  trees  and  shrubs  principally  attacked  by  this  borer,  are 
the  apple-tree,  the  quince,  mountain  ash,  ha\^'thorn  and  other 
thorn  bushes,  the  June-berry  or  shad-bush,  and  other  kinds  of 
Amelanchier  and  Aronia.  Our  native  thorns  and  Aronias  are 
its  natural  food;  for  I  have  discovered  the  larvae  in  the  stems 
of  these  shrubs,  and  have  repeatedly  found  the  beetles  upon 
them,  eating  the  leaves,  in  June  and  July.  It  is  in  these 
months  that  the  eggs  are  deposited,  being  laid  upon  the  bark 
near  the  root,  during  the  night.  The  lars^Ee  hatched  therefrom 
are  fleshy  whitish  grubs,  nearly  cylindrical,  and  tapering  a  little 
from  the  first  ring  to  the  end  of  the  body.  The  head  is  small, 
horny,  and  brown ;  the  first  ring  is  much  larger  than  the  others, 
the  next  two  are  very  short,  and,  with  the  first,  are  covered 
with  punctures  and  very  minute  hairs ;  the  following  rings,  to 
the  tenth  inclusive,  are  each  furnished,  on  the  upper  and  under 
side,  with  two  fleshy  warts  situated  close  together,  and  desti- 
tute of  the  little  rasp-like  teeth,  that  are  usually  found  on  the 
grubs  of  the  other  Capricorn-beetles;  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 
rings  are  very  short;  no  appearance  of  legs  can  be  seen,  even 
with  a  magnifying  glass  of  high  power.  The  grub,  with  its 
strong  jaws,  cuts  a  cylindrical  passage  through  the  bark,  and 
pushes  its  castings  backwards  out  of  the  hole  from  time  to 
time,  while  it  bores  upwards  into  the  wood.  The  larva  state 
continues  two  or  three  years,  during  which  the  borer  will  be 
found  to  have  penetrated  eight  or  ten  inches  upwards  in  the 
trunk  of  the  tree,  its  burrow  at  the  end  approaching  to,  and 
being  covered  only  by,  the  bark.  Here  its  transformation  takes 
place.  The  pupa  does  not  differ  much  fi-om  other  pupae  of 
beetles ;  but  it  has  a  transverse  row  of  minute  prickles  on  each 
of  the  rings  of  the  back,  and  several  at  the  tip  of  the  abdomen. 
These  probably  assist  the  insect  in  its  movements,  when  casting 
off  its  pupa-skin.  The  final  change  occurs  about  the  first  of 
June,  soon  after  which,  the  beetle  gnaws  through  the  bark  that 
covers  the  end  of  its  burrow,  and  comes  out  of  its  place  of 
confinement  in  the  night. 


9^  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Notwithstanding  the  pains  that  have  been  taken  by  some 
persons  to  destroy  and  exterminate  these  pernicious  borers, 
they  continue  to  reappear  in  our  orchards  and  nurseries  every 
season.  Tlie  reasons  of  this  are  to  be  found  in  the  habits  of 
the  insects,  and  in  individual  carelessness.  Many  orchards 
suffer  deplorably  from  the  want  of  proper  attention;  the  trees 
are  permitted  to  remain,  year  after  year,  without  any  pains 
being  taken  to  destroy  the  numerous  and  various  insects  that 
infest  them;  old  orchards,  especially,  are  neglected,  and  not 
only  the  rugged  trunks  of  the  trees,  but  even  a  forest  of 
unpruned  suckers  around  them,  are  left  to  the  undistmbed 
possession  and  perpetual  inheritance  of  the  Saperda.  On  the 
means  that  have  been  used  to  destroy  this  borer,  a  few  remarks 
only  need  to  be  made ;  for  it  is  evident  that  they  can  be  fully 
successful  only  when  generally  adopted.  Killing  it  by  a  wire 
thrust  into  the  holes  it  has  made,  is  one  of  the  oldest,  safest, 
and  most  successful  methods.  Cutting  out  the  grub,  with  a 
knife  or  gouge,  is  the  most  common  practice ;  but  it  is  feared 
that  these  tools  have  sometimes  been  used  without  sufficient 
caution.  A  third  method,  which  has  more  than  once  been 
suggested,  consists  in  plugging  the  holes  with  soft  wood.  K 
a  little  camphor  be  previously  inserted,  this  practice  promises 
to  be  more  effectual ;  but  experiments  are  wanting  to  confirm 
its  expediency. 

The  coated  Saperda,  or  Saperda  vestUa,  described  by  ^'L•.  Say 
in  the  Appendix  to  Keating's  Narrative  of  Major  Long's  Expe- 
dition, resembles  the  foregoing  species  in  form.  It  measures 
from  six  to  eight  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length;  it  is  entirely 
covered  with  a  close  greenish  yellow  down  or  nap,  and  has  two 
or  three  small  black  dots  near  the  middle  of  each  wing-cover. 
Mr.  Say  discovered  it  near  the  southern  extremity  of  Lake 
Michigan,  and  states  that  it  is  also  sometimes  found  in  Penn- 
sylvania; but  he  does  not  appear  to  have  known  anything  of 
its  history.  It  is  also  found  in  Massachusetts,  but  has  been 
rarely  seen,  until  within  a  few  years.  One  of  my  specimens 
was  taken  in  Milton  above  twenty  years  ago,  and  several 
others  were  taken  in  Cambridge,  during  the  summers  of  1843 


COLEOPTERA.  97 

and  1844,  upon  the  European  lindens,  from  the  trunks  and 
branches  of  which  they  had  just  come  forth.  A  knowledge  of 
the  habits  of  this  insect  might  have  led  to  its  more  frequent 
discovery.  One  of  the  lindens,  above  named,  was  a  noble  and 
venerable  tree,  with  a  trunk  measuring  eight  feet  and  ifive 
inches  in  circumference,  three  feet  from  the  ground.  A  strip 
of  the  bark,  two  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  extending  to  the 
top  of  the  trunk,  had  been  destroyed,  and  the  exposed  surface 
of  the  wood  was  pierced  and  grooved  with  countless  numbers 
of  holes,  wherein  the  borers  had  been  bred,  and  whence  swarms 
of  the  beetles  must  have  issued  in  past  times.  Some  of  the 
large  limbs  and  a  portion  of  the  top  of  the  tree  had  fallen, 
apparently  in  consequence  of  the  ravages  of  these  insects ;  and 
it  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that  this  fine  linden  should  have  with- 
stood and  outlived  the  attacks  of  such  a  host  of  miners  and 
sappers. 

The  lindens  of  Philadelphia  have  suffered  much  more  se- 
verely from  these  borers.  Dr.  Paul  Swift,  in  a  letter  written 
in  May,  1844,  gave  to  me  the  following  interesting  account  of 
them.  "  The  trees  in  Washington  and  Independence  squares 
were  first  observed  to  have  been  attacked  about  seven  years 
ago.  Within  two  years,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  cut 
down  forty-seven  European  lindens  in  the  former  square  alone, 
where  there  now  remain  only  a  few  American  lindens,  and 
these  a  good  deal  eaten."  "  Many  of  the  beetles  were  found 
upon  the  small  branches  and  leaves  on  the  twenty-eighth  day 
of  May,  and  it  is  said  that  they  come  out  as  early  as  the  first 
of  the  month,  and  continue  to  make  their  way  through  the 
bark  of  the  trunk  and  large  branches  during  the  whole  of  the 
warm  season.  They  immediately  fly  into  the  top  of  the  tree, 
and  there  feed  upon  the  epidermis  of  the  tender  twigs,  and  the 
petioles  of  the  leaves,  often  wholly  denuding  the  latter,  and 
causing  the  leaves  to  fall.  They  deposit  their  eggs,  two  or 
three  in  a  place,  upon  the  trunk  and  branches,  especially  about 
the  forks,  making  slight  incisions  or  punctures,  for  their  recep- 
tion, with  their  strong  jaws.  As  many  as  ninety  eggs  have 
been  taken  from  a  single  beetle.  The  grubs,  hatched  from 
these  eggs,  undermine  the  bark  to  the  extent  of  six  or  eight 
13 


98  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

inches,  in  sinuous  channels,  or  penetrate  the  solid  wood  an 
equal  distance.  It  is  supposed  that  three  years  are  required 
to  mature  the  insect.  Various  expedients  have  been  tried  to 
arrest  their  course,  but  without  effect.  A  stream,  thrown  into 
the  tops  of  the  trees  from  the  hydrant,  is  often  used  with  good 
success  to  dislodge  other  insects ;  but  the  borer-beetles,  when 
thus  disturbed,  take  wing  and  hover  over  the  trees  till  all  is 
quiet,  and  then  alight  and  go  to  work  again.  The  trunks  and 
branches  of  some  of  the  trees  have  been  washed  over  with 
various  preparations  without  benefit.  Boring  the  trunk  near  the 
ground,  and  putting  in  sulphur  and  other  drugs,  and  plugging, 
have  been  tried  with  as  little  effect." 

This  beetle  I  have  taken  in  Massachusetts  only  in  June, 
mostly  between  the  first  and  seventeenth,  and  none  after  the 
twentieth  day  of  the  month.  The  grub  closely  resembles  that 
of  the  apple-tree  borer.  Figures  of  the  insect,  in  all  its  stages, 
may  be  seen  in  the  tenth  volume  of  Hovey's  Magazine,  page 
380. 

There  is  another  destructive  Saperda,  whose  history  remains 
to  be  written.  It  is  the  Saperda  tridentata,  so  named  by 
Olivier  on  account  of  the  tridentate  or  three-toothed  red  bor- 
der of  its  wing-covers.  This  beetle  is  of  a  dark  brown  color, 
with  a  tint  of  gray,  owing  to  a  thin  coating  of  very  short  down. 
It  is  ornamented  with  a  curved  line  behind  the  eyes,  two  stripes 
on  the  thorax,  and  a  three-toothed  or  three-branched  stripe  on 
the  outer  edge  of  each  wing-cover,  of  a  rusty  red  color.  There 
are  also  six  black  dots  on  the  thorax,  two  above,  and  two  on 
the  sides;  and  each  of  the  angles  between  the  brandies  and 
the  lateral  stripes  of  the  wing-covers  is  marked  with  a  blackish 
spot.  The  two  hinder  branches  are  oblique,  and  extend  nearly 
or  quite  to  the  suture;  the  anterior  branch  is  short  and  hooked. 
Its  average  length  is  about  half  an  inch;  but  it  varies  from 
four  lo  six  tenths  of  an  inch.  The  males  are  smaller  than  the 
females,  but  have  longer  antennae.  This  pretty  beetle  has 
been  long  known  to  me,  but  its  habits  were  not  ascertained 
till  the  year  1847.  On  the  nineteenth  of  June,  in  that  year, 
Theophilus  Parsons,  Esq.,  sent  to  me  some  fragments  of  bark 
and  insects  which  were  taken  by  Mr.  J.  Richardson  from  the 


COLEOPTERA.  99- 

decaying  elms  on  Boston  Common;  and,  among  the  insects, 
I  recognized  a  pair  of  these  beetles  in  a  living  state.  My 
curiosity  was  immediately  excited  to  learn  something  more 
concerning  these  beetles  and  their  connection  with  the  trees, 
but  was  not  satisfied  by  a  partial  examination  made  in  the 
course  of  the  summer.  It  was  not  till  the  following  winter, 
that  an  opportunity  was  afforded  for  a  thorough  search,  with 
the  permission  of  the  Mayor,  the  Hon.  Josiah  Quincy,  Jun., 
and  with  the  help  of  the  Superintendent  of  the  Common. 
The  trees  were  found  to  have  suffered  terribly  from  the  ravages 
of  these  insects.  Several  of  them  had  already  been  cut  down, 
as  past  recovery;  others  were  in  a  dying  state,  and  nearly  all 
of  them  were  more  or  less  affected  with  disease  or  premature 
decay.  Their  bark  was  perforated,  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet 
from  the  ground,  with  numerous  holes,  through  which  insects 
had  escaped;  and  large  pieces  had  become  so  loose,  by  the 
undermining  of  the  grubs,  as  to  yield  to  slight  efforts,  and 
come  off  in  flakes.  The  inner  bark  was  filled  with  the  bur- 
rows of  the  grubs,  great  numbers  of  which,  in  various  stages 
of  growth,  together  with  some  in  the  pupa  state,  were  found 
therein ;  and  even  the  surface  of  the  wood,  in  many  cases,  was 
furrowed  with  their  irregular  tracks.  Very  rarely  did  they 
seem  to  have  penetrated  far  into  the  wood  itself;  but  their 
operations  were  mostly  confined  to  the  inner  layers  of  the 
bark,  which  thereby  became  loosened  from  the  wood  beneath. 
The  grubs  rarely  exceed  three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  length. 
They  have  no  feet,  and  they  resemble  the  larvae  of  other  spe- 
cies of  Saperda,  except  in  being  rather  more  flattened.  They 
appear  to  complete  their  transformations  in  the  third  year  of 
their  existence.  The  beetles  probably  leave*  their  holes  in  the 
bark  during  the  month  of  June  and  in  the  beginning  of  July; 
for,  in  the  course  of  thirty  years,  I  have  repeatedly  taken  them 
at  various  dates,  from  the  fifth  of  June  to  the  tenth  of  July. 
It  is  evident,  from  the  nature  and  extent  of  their  depredations, 
that  these  insects  have  alarmingly  hastened  the  decay  of  the 
elm-trees  on  Boston  Mall  and  Common,  and  that  they  now 
threaten  their  entire  destruction.  Other  causes,  however,  have 
probably  contributed  to  the  same  end.     It  will  be  remembered 


lOD  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  ^^GETATION. 

that  these  trees  have  greatly  suffered,  in  past  times,  from  the 
ravages  of  canker-worms.  Moreover,  the  impenetrable  state 
of  the  surface-soil,  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  subsoil,  and 
the  deprivation  of  all  benefit  from  the  decomposition  of  accu- 
mulated leaves,  which,  in  a  state  of  nature,  the  trees  would 
have  enjoyed,  but  which  a  regard  for  neatness  has  industri- 
ously removed,  have  doubtless  had  no  small  influence  in 
diminishing  the  vigor  of  the  trees,  and  thus  made  them  fall 
unresistingly  a  prey  to  insect  devourers.  The  plan  of  this 
work  precludes  a  more  full  consideration  of  these  and  other 
topics  connected  with  the  growth  and  decay  of  these  trees; 
and  I  can  only  add  that  it  may  be  prudent  to  cut  down  and 
burn  all  that  are  much  infested  by  the  borers. 

The  tall  blackberry,  Rubus  villosus,  is  sometimes  cultivated 
among  us  for  the  sake  of  its  fruit,  which  richly  repays  the  care 
thus  bestowed  upon  it.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  known  that 
this  plant  and  its  near  relation,  the  raspberry,  suffer  from  borers 
that  live  in  the  pith  of  the  stems.  These  borers  differ  some- 
what from  the  preceding,  being  cylindrical  in  the  middle,  and 
thickened  a  little  at  each  end.  The  head  is  proportionally 
larger  than  in  the  other  borers ;  the  first  three  rings  of  the  body 
are  short,  the  second  being  the  widest,  and  each  of  them  is 
provided  beneath  with  a  pair  of  minute  sharp-pointed  warts  or 
imperfect  legs;  the  remaining  rings  are  smooth,  and  without 
tubercles  or  rasps ;  the  last  three  are  rather  thicker  than  those 
which  immediately  precede  them,  and  the  twelfth  ring  is  very 
obtusely  rounded  at  the  end.  The  beetles  from  these  borers 
are  very  slender,  and  of  a  cylindrical  form,  and  their  antennas 
are  of  moderate  length  and  do  not  taper  much  towards  the  end. 
The  species  which  attacks  the  blackberry  appears  to  be  the 
Saperda  ( Oberea)  tripunctata  of  Fabricius.  It  is  of  a  deep 
black  color,  except  the  fore  part  of  the  breast  and  the  top  of 
the  thorax,  which  are  rusty  yellow,  and  there  are  two  black 
elevated  dots  on  the  middle  of  the  thorax,  and  a  third  dot  on 
the  hinder  edge  close  to  the  scutel ;  the  wing-covers  are  coarsely 
punctured,  in  rows  on  the  top,  and  irregularly  on  the  sides  and 
tips,  each  of  which  is  slightly  notched  and  ends  with  two  little 
points.     The  two  black  dots  on  the  middle  of  the  thorax  are 


COLEOPTERA.  101 

sometimes  wanting.  This  beetle  varies  from  three  tenths  to 
half  an  inch  in  length.  It  finishes  its  transformations  towards 
the  end  of  July,  and  lays  its  eggs  early  in  August,  one  by  one, 
on  the  stems  of  the  blackberry  and  raspberry,  near  a  leaf  or 
small  twig.  The  grubs  burrow  directly  into  the  pith,  which 
they  consume  as  they  proceed,  so  that  the  stem,  for  the  dis- 
tance of  several  inches,  is  completely  deprived  of  its  pith,  and 
consequently  withers  and  dies  before  the  end  of  the  summer. 
In  Europe  one  of  these  slender  Saperdas  attacks  the  hazel- 
bush,  and  another  the  twigs  of  the  pear-tree,  in  the  same  way. 

The  Lepturians,  or  Lepturad^,  constitute  the  third  family 
of  the  Capricorn-beetles.  In  most  of  them  the  body  is  nar- 
rowed behind,  which  is  the  origin  of  the  name  applied  to 
them,  signifying  really  narrow  tail.  They  differ  from  the  other 
Capricorn-beetles  in  the  form  of  their  eyes,  which  are  not  deeply 
notched,  but  are  either  oval  or  rounded  and  prominent,  and  the 
antennae  are  more  distant  from  them,  and  are  implanted  near 
the  middle  of  the  forehead.  Moreover  the  head  is  not  deeply 
sunk  in  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax,  but  is  connected  with  it 
by  a  narrowed  neck.  The  thorax  varies  somewhat  in  shape, 
but  is  generally  narrowed  before  and  widened  behind.  The 
Lepturians  are  often  gayly  colored,  and  fly  about  by  day,  visit- 
ing flowers  for  the  sake  of  the  pollen  and  tender  leaves,  which 
they  eat.  Their  grubs  live  in  the  trunks  and  stumps  of  trees, 
are  rather  broad  and  somewhat  flattened,  and  are  mostly  fur- 
nished with  six  extremely  short  legs. 

The  largest  and  finest  of  these  beetles  in  New  England  is 
the  Desmocerus  palliatiis*  which  appears  on  the  flowers  and 
leaves  of  the  common  elder  towards  the  end  of  June  and  until 
the  middle  of  July.  It  is  of  a  deep  violet  or  Prussian  blue 
color,  sometimes  glossed  with  green,  and  nearly  one  half  of 
the  fore  part  of  the  wing-covers  is  orange-yellow,  suggesting 
the  idea  of  a  short  cloak  of  this  color  thrown  over  the  shoulders, 
which  the  name  palliatvs,  that  is  cloaked,  was  designed  to 
express.  The  head  is  narrow.  The  thorax  has  nearly  the 
form  of  a  cone  cut  off"  at  the  top,  being  narrow  before  and 

*  Cerambyx  palliatus  of  Forster ;  Stenocorus  cyaneus,  Fabricius. 


102  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

wide  behind;  it  is  somewhat  uneven,  and  has  a  little  sharp 
projecting  point  on  each  side  of  the  base.  The  antennae  have 
the  third  and  the  three  following  joints  abruptly  thickened  at 
the  extremity,  giving  them  the  knotty  appearance  indicated  by 
the  generical  name  Desmocerus,  which  signifies  knotty  horn. 
The  larvae  live  in  the  lower  part  of  the  stems  of  the  elder,  and 
devour  the  pith;  they  have  hitherto  escaped  my  researches, 
but  I  have  found  the  beetles  in  the  burrows  made  by  them. 

The  bark  of  the  pitch-pine  is  often  extensively  loosened  by 
the  grubs  of  Leptiirians  at  work  beneath  it,  in  consequence  of 
which  it  falls  off"  in  large  flakes,  and  the  tree  perishes.  These 
grubs  live  between  the  bark  and  the  wood,  often  in  great  num- 
bers together,  and,  when  they  are  about  to  become  pupee,  each 
one  surrounds  itself  with  an  oval  ring  of  woody  fibres,  within 
which  it  undergoes  its  transformations.  The  beetle  is  matured 
before  winter,  but  does  not  leave  the  tree  until  spring.  It  is 
the  ribbed  Rhagium,  or  Rhag-ium  lineatum*  so  named  because 
it  has  three  elevated  longitudinal  lines  or  ribs  on  each  wing- 
cover  ;  and  it  measures  from  four  and  a  half  to  seven  tenths  of 
an  inch  in  lengtii.  The  head  and  thorax  are  gray,  striped  with 
black,  and  thickly  punctured;  the  antennae  are  about  as  long 
as  the  two  forenamed  parts  of  the  body  together ;  the  thorax 
is  narrow,  cylindrical  before  and  behind,  and  swelled  out  in 
the  middle  by  a  large  pointed  wart  or  tubercle  on  each  side ; 
the  wing-covers  are  wide  at  the  shoulders,  gradually  taper 
behind,  and  are  slightly  convex  above ;  they  are  coarsely  punc- 
tured between  the  smooth  elevated  lines,  and  are  variegated 
with  reddish  ash-color  and  black,  the  latter  forming  two  irregu- 
lar transverse  bands ;  the  under  side  of  the  body,  and  the  legs, 
are  variegated  with  dull  red,  gray,  and  black.  The  gray  por- 
tions on  this  beetle  are  occasioned  by  very  short  hairs,  forming 
a  close  kind  of  nap,  which  is  easily  rubbed  off". 

The  Buprestians  and  the  Capricorn-beetles  seem  evidently 
allied  in  their  habits,  both  being  borers  during  the  greater  part 
of  their  lives,  and  living  in  the  trunks  and  limbs  of  trees,  to 
which  they  are  more  or  less  injurious  in  proportion  to  their 

*  Stenocorui  Uneatus  of  Olivier. 


COLEOPTERA.  WS 

numbers.  Some  of  the  beetles  in  these  two  groups  resemble 
each  other  closely  in  their  forms  and  habits.  The  resemblance, 
between  the  slender  cylindrical  Saperdas  and  some  of  the 
cylindrical  Buprestians  belonging  to  the  genus  Agrilus,  is 
indeed  very  remarkable,  and  caimot  fail  to  strike  a  common 
observer.  Their  larvae  also  are  not  only  very  similar  in  their 
forms,  but  they  have  the  same  habits;  living  in  the  centre  of 
stems,  and  devouring  the  pith. 

The  insects,  that  have  passed  under  consideration  in  the 
foregoing  part  of  this  treatise,  spend  by  far  the  greater  portion 
of  their  lives,  namely,  that  wherein  they  are  larvae  only,  in 
obscurity,  buried  in  the  ground,  or  concealed  within  the  roots, 
the  stems,  or  the  seeds  of  plants,  where  they  perform  their 
appointed  tasks  unnoticed  and  unknown.  Thus  the  work  of 
destruction  goes  secretly  and  silently  on,  till  it  becomes  mani- 
fest by  its  melancholy  consequences;  and  too  late  we  discover 
the  hidden  foes  that  have  disappointed  the  hopes  of  the  hus- 
bandman, and  ruined  those  spontaneous  productions  of  the 
soil  that  constitute  so  important  a  source  of  our  comfort  and 
prosperity. 

There  still  remain  several  groups  of  beetles  to  be  described, 
consisting  almost  entirely  of  insects  that  spend  the  whole,  or 
the  principal  part,  of  their  lives  upon  the  leaves  of  plants,  and 
which,  as  they  derive  their  nourishment,  both  in  the  larva  and 
adult  states,  from  leaves  alone,  may  be  called  leaf-beetles,  or, 
as  they  have  recently  been  named,  phyllophagous,  that  is  leaf- 
eating  insects.  When,  as  in  certain  seasons,  they  appear  in 
considerable  numbers,  they  do  not  a  little  injury  to  vegetation, 
and,  being  generally  exposed  to  view  on  the  leaves  that  they 
devour,  they  soon  attract  attention.  But  the  power  possessed 
by  most  plants  of  renewing  their  foliage,  enables  them  soon  to 
recover  from  the  attacks  of  these  devourers;  and  the  injury 
sustained,  unless  often  repeated,  is  rarely  attended  by  the 
ruinous  consequences  that  follow  the  hidden  and  unsuspected 
ravages  of  those  insects  that  sap  vegetation  in  its  most  vital 
parts.  Moreover,  the  leaf-eaters  are  more  within  our  reach, 
and  it  is  not  so  difficult  to  destroy  them,  and  protect  plants 
from  their  depredations.     The  leaf-beetles  are  generally  distin- 


104  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

guished  by  the  want  of  a  snout,  by  their  short  legs  and  broad 
cushioned  feet,  and  their  antennae  of  moderate  length,  often 
thickened  a  little  towards  the  end,  or  not  distinctly  tapering. 
Some  of  them  have  an  oblong  body  and  a  narrow  or  cylindrical 
thorax,  and  resemble  very  much  some  of  the  Lcpturians,  with 
which  Linnaeus  included  them.  Others,  and  indeed  the  greater 
number,  have  the  body  oval,  broad,  and  often  very  convex. 

The  oblong  leaf-beetles,  called  Crioccrians  (Crioceridid.e), 
have  some  resemblance  to  the  Capricorn-beetles.  They  are  dis- 
tinguished by  the  following  characters.  The  eyes  are  promi- 
nent and  nearly  round  ;  the  antennae  are  of  moderate  length, 
composed  of  short,  nearly  cylindrical  or  beaded  joints,  and  are 
implanted  before  the  eyes ;  the  thorax  is  narrow  and  almost 
cylindrical  or  square  ;  the  wing-covers,  taken  together,  form  an 
oblong  square,  rounded  behind,  and  much  wider  than  the  tho- 
rax ;  and  the  thighs  of  the  hind  legs  are  often  thickened  in  the 
middle. 

The  three-lined  leaf-beetle,  Crioceris  trilineata  of  Olivier, 
will  serve  to  exemplify  the  habits  of  the  greater  part  of  the 
insects  of  this  family.  This  beetle  is  about  one  quarter  of  an 
inch  long,  of  a  rusty  buff  or  nankin-yellow  color,  with  two 
black  dots  on  the  thorax,  and  three  black  stripes  on  the  back, 
namely,  one  on  the  outer  side  of  each  wing-cover,  and  one  in 
the  middle  on  the  inner  edges  of  the  same ;  the  antennae 
(except  the  first  joint),  the  outside  of  the  shins,  and  the  feet 
are  dusky.  The  thorax  is  abruptly  narrowed  or  pinched  in  on 
the  middle  of  each  side.  When  held  between  the  fingers, 
these  insects  make  a  creaking  sound  like  the  Capricorn-beetles. 
They  appear  early  in  June  on  the  leaves  of  the  potato-vines, 
having  at  that  time  recently  come  out  of  the  ground,  where 
they  pass  the  winter  in  the  pupa  state.  Within  a  few  years, 
these  insects  have  excited  some  attention,  on  account  of  their 
prevalence  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  and  from  a  mistaken 
notion  that  they  were  the  cause  of  the  potato-rot.  They  eat 
the  leaves  of  the  potato,  gnawing  large  and  irregular  holes 
through  them ;  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  begin  to  lay 
their  oblong  oval  golden  yellow  eggs,  which  are  glued  to  the 
leaves,  in  parcels  of  sL\  or  eight  together.     The  grubs,  which 


COLEOPTERA.  105 

are  hatched  in  about  a  fortniglit  afterwai-ds,  are  of  a  dirty 
yellowish  or  ashen  white  color,  with  a  darker  colored  head, 
and  two  dark  spots  on  the  top  of  the  first  ring.  They  are 
rather  short,  approaching  to  a  cylindrical  form,  but  thickest  in 
the  middle,  and  have  six  legs,  arranged  in  pairs  beneath  the 
first  three  rings.  After  making  a  hearty  meal  upon  the  leaves 
of  the  potato,  they  cover  themselves  with  their  own  filth. 
The  vent  is  situated  on  the  upper  side  of  the  last  ring,  so  that 
their  dung  falls  upon  their  backs,  and,  by  motions  of  the  body, 
is  pushed  forwards,  as  fast  as  it  accumulates,  towards  the 
head,  until  the  whole  of  the  back  is  entirely  coated  with  it. 
This  covering  shelters  their  soft  and  tender  bodies  from  the 
heat  of  the  sun,  and  probably  serves  to  secure  them  from  the 
attacks  of  their  enemies.  When  it  becomes  too  heavy  or  too 
dry,  it  is  thrown  off,  but  replaced  again  by  a  fresh  coat  in  the 
course  of  a  few  hours.  In  eating,  the  grubs  move  backwards, 
never  devouring  the  portion  of  the  leaf  immediately  before 
the  head,  but  that  which  lies  under  it.  Their  numbers  are 
sometimes  very  great,  and  the  leaves  are  then  covered  and 
nearly  consumed  by  these  filthy  insects.  When  about  fifteen 
days  old  they  throw  oft'  their  loads,  creep  down  the  plant,  and 
bury  themselves  in  the  ground.  Here  each  one  forms  for  itself 
a  little  cell  of  earth,  cemented  and  varnished  within  by  a 
gummy  fluid  discharged  from  its  mouth,  and  when  this  is 
done,  it  changes  to  a  pupa.  In  about  a  fortnight  more  the 
insect  throws  off  its  pupa  skin,  breaks  open  its  earthen  cell, 
and  crawls  out  of  the  ground.  The  beetles  come  out  towards 
the  end  of  July  or  early  in  August,  and  lay  their  eggs  for  a 
second  brood  of  grubs.  The  latter  come  to  their  growth  and 
go  into  the  ground  in  the  autumn,  and  remain  there  in  the 
pupa  form  during  the  winter. 

The  only  method  that  occurs  to  me,  by  means  of  which  we 
may  get  rid  of  them,  when  they  are  so  numerous  as  to  be 
seriously  injurious  to  plants,  is  to  brush  them  from  the  leaves 
into  shallow  vessels  containing  a  little  salt  and  water  or 
vinegar. 

The  habits  of  the  Hispas,  little  leaf-beetles,  forming  the 
family  Hispad^,  were  first  made  known  by  me  in  the  year 
14 


106  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

1835,  in  the  "  Boston  Journal  of  Natural  History,"  *  where  a 
detailed  account  of  them,  with  descriptions  of  three  native 
species,  and  figures  of  the  larva  and  pupae,  may  be  found. 
The  upper  side  of  the  beetles  is  generally  rough,  as  the  generi- 
cal  name  implies.  The  larvEe  buiTow  under  the  skin  of  the 
leaves  of  plants,  and  eat  the  pulpy  substance  within,  so  that 
the  skin,  over  and  under  the  place  of  their  operations,  turns 
brown  and  dries,  and  has  somewhat  of  a  blistered  appearance, 
and  within  these  blistered  spots  the  larvse  or  grubs,  the  pupae, 
or  the  beetles  may  often  be  found.  The  eggs  of  these  insects 
are  little  rough  blackish  grains,  and  are  glued  to  the  surface  of 
the  leaves,  sometimes  singly,  and  sometimes  in  clusters  of  four 
or  five  together.  The  grubs  of  our  common  species  are  about 
one  fifth  of  an  inch  in  length,  when  fully  grown.  The  body 
is  oblong,  flattened,  rather  broader  before  than  behind,  soft, 
and  of  a  whitish  color,  except  the  head  and  the  top  of  the  first 
ring,  which  are  brown,  or  blackish,  and  of  a  horny  consistence. 
It  has  a  pair  of  legs  to  each  of  the  first  three  rings;  the  other 
rings  are  provided  with  small  fleshy  warts  at  the  sides,  and 
transverse  rows  of  little  rasp-like  points  above  and  beneath. 
The  pupa  state  lasts  only  about  one  week,  soon  after  which 
the  beetles  come  out  of  their  burrows. 

The  leaves  of  the  apple-tree  are  inhabited  by  some  of  these 
little  mining  insects,  which,  in  the  beetle  state,  are  probably 
the  Hispa  rosea^  of  Weber,  or  the  rosy  Hispa.  They  are  of  a 
deep  tawny  or  reddish  yellow  color  above,  marked  with  little 
deep  red  lines  and  spots.  The  head  is  small;  the  antenna?  are 
short,  thickened  towards  the  end,  and  of  a  black  color ;  the 
thorax  is  narrow  before  and  wide  behind,  rough  above,  striped 
with  deep  red  on  each  side ;  the  wing-covers  taken  together 
form  an  oblong  square;  there  are  three  smooth  longitudinal 
lines  or  ribs  on  each  of  them,  spotted  witii  blood  red,  and  the 
spaces  between  these  lines  are  deeply  punctured  in  double 
rows;  the  under  side  of  the  body  is  l)lack,  and  the  legs  are 
short  and  reddish.     They  measure  about  one  fifth  of  an  inch 


*  Vol.  I.  page  141. 

t  Hispa  quadrata,  Fabriclus  ;  11.  marginata,  Say. 


COLEOPTERA.  107 

in  length.  These  beetles  may  be  found  on  the  leaves  of  the 
apple-tree,  and  very  abundantly  on  those  of  the  shad-bush 
{Amelanchier  ovalis),  and  choke-berry  {Pyrus  arhutifolia)^  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  May  and  the  beginning  of  June. 

In  the  middle  of  June,  another  kind  of  Hispa  may  be  found 
pairing  and  laying  eggs  on  the  leaves  of  the  locust-tree.  The 
grubs  appear  during  the  month  of  July,  and  are  transformed 
to  beetles  in  August.  They  measure  nearly  one  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  length,  are  of  a  tawny  yellow  color,  with  a  black  longi- 
tudinal line  on  the  middle  of  the  back,  partly  on  one  and  partly 
on  the  other  wing-cover,  the  inner  edges  of  which  meet  together 
and  form  what  is  called  the  suture;  whence  this  species  was 
named  Hispa  suturalis  by  Fabricius ;  the  head,  antennas,  body 
beneath,  and  legs  are  black;  and  the  wing-covers  are  not  so 
square  behind  as  in  the  rosy  Hispa. 

The  tortoise-beetles,  as  they  are  familiarly  called  from  their 
shape,  are  leaf-eating  insects,  belonging  to  the  family  Cassi- 
DAD-E,  This  name,  derived  from  a  word  signifying  a  helmet, 
is  applied  to  them  because  the  fore  part  of  the  semicircular 
thorax  generally  projects  over  the  head  like  the  front  of  a 
helmet.  In  these  beetles  the  body  is  broad  oval  or  rounded, 
flat  beneath,  and  slightly  convex  above.  The  antennae  are 
short,  slightly  thickened  at  the  end,  and  inserted  close  together 
on  the  crown  of  the  head.  The  latter  is  small,  and  concealed 
under,  or  deeply  sunk  into,  the  thorax.  The  legs  are  very 
short,  and  hardly  seen  from  above.  These  insects  are  often 
gayly  colored  or  spotted,  which  increases  their  resemblance  to 
a  tortoise;  they  creep  slowly,  and  fly  by  day.  Their  larvae 
and  pupae  resemble  those  of  the  following  species  in  most 
respects. 

Cassida  aurichalcea,  so  named  by  Fabricius  on  account  of 
the  brilliant  brassy  or  golden  lustre  it  assumes,  is  found  during 
most  of  the  summer  months  on  the  leaves  of  the  bitter-sweet 
{Solannm  dulcamara),  and  in  great  abundance  on  various  kinds 
of  Convolvulus,  such  as  our  large-flowered  Convolvidus  sepium, 
the  morning  glory,  and  the  sweet  potato-vine.  The  leaves  of 
these  plants  are  eaten  both  by  the  beetles  and  their  young. 
The  former  begin  to  appear  during  the  months  of  May  and 


108  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATIOX. 

June,  having  probably  survived  the  winter  in  some  place  of 
shelter  and  concealment,  and  their  larvaB  in  a  week  or  two 
afterwards.  The  larvae  are  broad  oval,  flattened,  dark-colored 
o-rubs,  with  a  kind  of  fringe,  composed  of  stiff  prickles,  around 
the  thin  edges  of  the  body,  and  a  long  forked  tail.  This  fork 
serves  to  hold  the  excrement  when  voided ;  and  a  mass  of  it 
half  as  large  as  the  body  of  the  insect  is  often  thus  accumu- 
lated. The  tail,  with  the  loaded  fork,  is  turned  over  the  back, 
and  thus  protects  the  insect  from  the  sun,  and  probably  also 
from  its  enemies.  The  first  broods  of  larvae  arrive  at  their 
growth  and  change  to  pupa;  early  in  July,  fixing  themselves 
firmly  by  the  hinder  part  of  their  bodies  to  the  leaves,  when 
this  change  is  about  to  take  place.  The  pupa  remains  fastened 
to  the  cast-skin  of  the  larva.  It  is  broad  oval,  fringed,  at  the 
sides,  and  around  the  fore  part  of  the  broad  thorax,  wdth  large 
prickles.  Soon  afterwards  the  beetles  come  forth,  and  lay 
their  eggs  for  a  second  brood  of  grubs,  which,  in  turn,  are 
changed  to  beetles  in  the  course  of  the  autumn.  In  June, 
1824,  the  late  Mr.  John  Lowell  sent  me  specimens  of  this  little 
beetle,  which  he  found  to  be  injurious  to  the  sweet  potato-vine, 
by  eating  large  holes  through  the  leaves.  This  beetle  is  very 
broad  oval  in  shape,  and  about  one  fifth  of  an  inch  in  length. 
When  living  it  has  the  power  of  changing  its  hues,  at  one 
time  appearing  only  of  a  dull  yellow  color,  and  at  other  times 
shining  with  the  splendor  of  polished  brass  or  gold,  tinged 
sometimes  also  with  the  variable  tints  of  pearl.  The  body  of 
the  insect  is  blackish  beneath,  and  the  legs  are  dull  yellow. 
It  loses  its  brilliancy  after  death.  The  wing-covers,  the  parts 
which  exhibit  the  change  of  color,  are  lined  beneath  with  an 
orange-colored  paint,  which  seems  to  be  filled  with  little  ves- 
sels; and  these  are  probably  the  source  of  the  changeable 
brilliancy  of  the  insect. 

The  Chrysomelians  (Crysomelad^)  compose  an  extensive 
tribe  of  leaf-eating  beetles,  formerly  included  in  the  old  genus 
Clmjsomcla.  The  meaning  of  this  word  is  golden  beetle,  and 
many  of  the  insects,  to  which  it  was  applied  by  Linnaeus,  are 
of  brilliant  and  metallic  colors.  They  differ,  however,  so  much 
in  their  essential  characters,  their  forms,  and  their  habits,  that 


COLEOPTERA.  109 

they  are  now  very  properly  distributed  into  four  separate  groups 
or  families.  The  first  of  these,  called  Galerucad.e,  or  Galeru- 
cians,  consists  mostly  of  dull-colored  beetles ;  having  an  oblong 
oval,  slightly  convex  body;  a  short,  and  rather  narrow,  and 
uneven  thorax;  slender  antennae,  more  than  half  the  length  of 
the  body,  and  implanted  close  together  on  the  forehead ;  slender 
legs,  which  are  nearly  equal  in  size ;  and  claws  split  at  the  end. 
They  fly  mostly  by  day,  and  are,  by  nature,  either  very  timid 
or  very  cunning,  for,  when  we  attempt  to  take  hold  of  them, 
they  draw  up  their  legs,  and  fall  to  the  gi'ound.  They  some- 
times do  great  injury  to  plants,  eating  large  holes  in  the  leaves, 
or  consuming  entirely  those  that  are  young  and  tender.  The 
larvae  are  rather  short  cylindrical  grubs,  generally  of  a  blackish 
color,  and  are  provided  with  sLx  legs.  They  live  and  feed 
together  in  swarms,  and  sometimes  appear  in  very  great  num- 
bers on  the  leaves  of  plants,  committing  ravages,  at  these 
times,  as  extensive  as  those  of  the  most  destructive  caterpillars. 
This  was  the  case  in  1837  at  Sevres,  in  France,  and  in  1838 
and  1839  in  Baltimore  and  its  vicinity,  where  the  elm-trees 
were  entirely  stripped  of  their  leaves  during  midsummer  by 
swarms  of  the  larvae  of  Galeruca  Calmariensis ;  and,  in  the 
latter  place,  after  the  trees  had  begun  to  revive,  and  were 
clothed  with  fresh  leaves,  they  were  again  attacked  by  new 
broods  of  these  noxious  grubs.  These  insects,  which  were 
undoubtedly  introduced  into  America  with  the  European  elm, 
are  as  yet  unknown  in  the  New  England  States.  The  eggs 
of  the  Galerucians  are  generally  laid  in  little  clusters  or  rows 
along  the  veins  of  the  leaves,  and  those  of  the  elm  Galeruca 
are  of  a  yellow  color.  The  pupa  state  of  some  species  occiirs 
on  the  leaves,  of  others  in  the  ground;  and  some  of  the  larvae 
live  also  in  the  ground  on  the  roots  of  plants. 

One  of  the  most  common  kinds  is  the  Galeruca  vittata*  or 
striped  Galeruca,  generally  known  here  by  the  names  of  striped 
bug,  and  cucumber  beetle.  This  destructive  insect  is  of  a  light 
yellow  color  above,  with  a  black  head,  and  a  broad  black  stripe 
on  each  wing-cover,  the  inner  edge  or  suture  of  which  is  also 

*  Crioceria  vittata  of  Fabricius. 


lit  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

black,  forming  a  third  narrower  stripe  down  the  middle  of  the 
back ;  the  abdomen,  the  greater  part  of  the  fore  legs,  and  the 
knees  and  feet  of  the  other  legs,  are  black.  It  is  rather  less 
than  one  fifth  of  an  inch  long.  Early  in  the  spring  it  devours 
the  tender  leaves  of  various  plants.  I  have  found  it  often  on 
those  of  our  Aronias,  Amelanchier  botryapium  and  ovalis,  and 
Pi/rus  arbidijhlia,  towards  the  end  of  April.  It  makes  its  first 
appearance,  on  cucumber,  squash,  and  melon  vines,  about  the 
last  of  May  and  first  of  June,  or  as  soon  as  the  leaves  begin 
to  expand;  and,  as  several  broods  are  produced  in  the  course 
of  the  summer,  it  may  be  found  at  various  times  on  these 
plants,  till  the  latter  are  destroyed  by  frost.  Great  numbers  of 
these  little  beetles  may  be  obtained  in  the  autumn  from  the 
flowers  of  squash  and  pumpkin  vines,  the  pollen  and  germs  of 
which  they  are  very  fond  of.  They  get  into  the  blossoms  as 
soon  as  the  latter  are  opened,  and  are  often  caught  there  by 
the  twisting  and  closing  of  the  top  of  the  flower;  and,  when 
they  want  to  make  their  escape,  they  are  obliged  to  gnaw  a 
hole  through  the  side  of  their  temporary  prison.  The  females 
lay  their  eggs  in  the  ground,  and  the  larvae  probably  feed  on 
the  roots  of  plants,  but  they  have  hitherto  escaped  my  re- 
searches. 

Various  means  have  been  suggested  and  tried  to  prevent 
the  ravages  of  these  striped  cucumber-beetles,  which  have 
become  notorious  throughout  the  country  for  their  attacks 
upon  the  leaves  of  the  cucumber  and  squash.  Dr.  B.  S. 
Barton,  of  Philadelphia,  recommended  sprinkling  the  vines 
with  a  mixture  of  tobacco  and  red  pepper,  which  he  stated  to 
be  attended  with  great  benefit.  Watering  the  vines  with  a 
solution  of  one  ounce  of  Glauber's  salts  in  a  quart  of  water, 
or  with  tobacco  water,  an  infusion  of  elder,  of  walnut  leaves, 
or  of  hops,  has  been  highly  reconnnended.  Mr.  Gourgas,  of 
"Weston,  has  found  no  application  so  useful  as  ground  plaster 
of  Paris ;  and  a  writer  in  the  "  American  Farmer "  extols  the 
use  of  charcoal  dust.  Deanc  recommended  sifting  powdered 
soot  upon  the  plants  when  they  are  wet  with  the  morning 
dew,  and  others  have  advised  sulphur  and  Scotch  snuff"  to  be 
applied  in  the  same  way.     As  these  insects  fly  by  night,  as 


COLEOPTERA.  ?11 

well  as  by  day,  and  are  attracted  by  lights,  burning  splinters  of 
pine  knots  or  of  staves  of  tar-barrels,  stuck  into  the  ground 
during  the  night,  around  the  plants,  have  been  found  useful  in 
destroying  these  beetles.  The  most  effectual  preservative  both 
against  these  insects  and  the  equally  destructive  black  flea- 
beetles  which  infest  the  vines  in  the  spring,  consists  in  covering 
the  young  vines  with  millinet  stretched  over  small  wooden 
frames.  Mr.  Levi  Bartlett,  of  Warner,  N.  H.,  has  described  a 
method  for  making  these  frames  expeditiously  and  economi- 
cally, and  his  directions  may  be  found  in  the  second  volume 
of  the  "  New  England  Farmer,"  *  and  in  Fessenden's  "  New 
American  Gardener,"  f  under  the  article  Cucumber. 

The  cucumber  flea-beetle  above  mentioned,  a  little,  black, 
jumping  insect,  well  known  for  the  injury  done  by  it,  in  the 
spring,  to  young  cucumber  plants,  belongs  to  another  family  of 
the  Chrysomelian  tribe,  called  Halticad^.  The  following  are 
the  chief  peculiarities  of  the  beetles  of  this  family.  The  body 
is  oval  and  very  convex  above;  the  thorax  is  short,  nearly  or 
quite  as  wide  as  the  wing-covers  behind,  and  narrowed  before ; 
the  head  is  pretty  broad ;  the  antennae  are  slender,  about  half 
the  length  of  the  body,  and  are  implanted  nearly  on  the  middle 
of  the  forehead;  the  hindmost  thighs  are  very  thick,  being 
formed  for  leaping;  hence  these  insects  have  been  called  flea- 
beetles,  and  the  scientific  name  Haltica,  derived  from  a  word 
signifying  to  leap,  has  been  applied  to  them.  The  surface  of 
the  body  is  smooth,  generally  polished,  and  often  prettily  or 
brilliantly  colored.  The  claws  are  very  thick  at  one  end,  are 
deeply  notched  towards  the  other,  and  terminate  with  a  long 
curved  and  sharp  point,  which  enables  the  insect  to  lay  hold 
firmly  upon  the  leaves  of  the  plants  on  which  they  live.  These 
beetles  eat  the  leaves  of  vegetables,  preferring  especially  plants 
of  the  cabbage,  turnip,  mustard,  cress,  radish,  and  horse-radish 
kind,  or  those,  which,  in  botanical  language,  are  called  cruci- 
ferous plants,  to  which  they  are  often  exceedingly  injurious. 
The  turnip-fly  or  more  properly  turnip  flea-beetle  is  one  of 
these  Halticas,  which  lays  waste  the  turnip  fields  in  Europe, 

*  Page  305.  t  Sixth  edition,  page  91. 


112  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

devouring  the  seed-leaves  of  the  plants  as  soon  as  they  appear 
above  the  ground,  and  continuing  their  ravages  upon  new  crops 
throughout  the  summer.  Another  small  flea-beetle  is  often 
very  injurious  to  the  grape-vines  in  Europe,  and  a  larger  spe- 
cies attacks  the  same  plant  in  this  country.  The  flea-beetles 
conceal  themselves  during  the  winter,  in  dry  places,  under 
stones,  in  tufts  of  withered  grass  and  moss,  and  in  chinks  of 
walls.  They  lay  their  eggs  in  the  spring,  upon  the  leaves  of 
the  plants  upon  which  they  feed.  The  larvae,  or  young,  of  the 
smaller  kinds  burrow  into  the  leaves,  and  eat  the  soft  pulpy 
substance  under  the  skin,  forming  therein  little  winding  pas- 
sages, in  which  they  finally  complete  their  transformations. 
Hence  the  plants  suffer  as  much  from  the  depredations  of  the 
larvae,  as  from  those  of  the  beetles,  a  fact  that  has  too  often 
been  overlooked.  The  larvae  of  the  larger  kinds  are  said  to 
live  exposed  upon  the  surface  of  the  leaves  which  they  devour, 
till  they  have  come  to  their  growth,  and  to  go  into  the  ground, 
where  they  are  changed  to  pupae,  and  soon  afterwards  to  beetles. 
The  mining  larvre,  the  only  kinds  which  are  known  to  me  from 
personal  examination,  arc  little  slender  grubs,  tapering  towards 
each  end,  and  provided  with  six  legs.  They  arrive  at  maturity, 
turn  to  pupae,  and  then  to  beetles  in  a  few  weeks.  Hence 
there  is  a  constant  succession  of  these  insects,  in  their  various 
states,  throughout  the  summer.  The  history  of  the  greater 
part  of  our  Halticas  or  flea-beetles  is  still  unknown ;  I  shall, 
therefore,  only  add,  to  the  foregoing  general  remarks,  descrip- 
tions of  two  or  three  common  species,  and  suggest  such  reme- 
dies as  seem  to  be  useful  in  protecting  plants  from  their  ravages. 
The  most  destructive  species  in  this  vicinity  is  that  which 
attacks  the  cucumber  plant  as  soon  as  the  latter  appears  above 
the  ground,  eating  the  seed-leaves,  and  thereby  destroying  the 
plant  immediately.  Supposing  this  to  be  an  undescribed  in- 
sect, I  formerly  named  it  Haltica  Cucumeris,  the  cucumber 
flea-beetle ;  but  Mr.  Say  subsequently  informed  me  that  it  was 
the  pubescens  of  UHgcr,  so  named  because  it  is  very  slightly 
pubescent  or  downy.  Count  Dejean,  w^ho  gave  to  it  the  specific 
name  of  fuscula,  considered  it  as  distinct  from  the  pubescens; 
and  it  differs  from  the  descriptions  of  the  latter  in  the  color  of 


COLEOPTERA.  113 

its  thighs,  and  in  never  having  the  tips  and  shoulders  of  the 
wing-covers  yellowish ;  so  that  it  may  still  bear  the  name  given 
to  it  in  my  Catalogue.  It  is  only  one  sixteenth  of  an  inch 
long,  of  a  black  color,  with  clay-yellow  antennce  and  legs, 
except  the  hindmost  thighs,  which  are  brown.  The  upper  side 
of  the  body  is  covered  with  punctures,  which  are  arranged  in 
rows  on  the  wing-cases ;  and  there  is  a  deep  transverse  furrow 
across  the  hinder  part  of  the  thorax.  During  the  summer, 
these  pernicious  flea-beetles  may  be  found,  not  only  on  cucum- 
ber-vines, but  on  various  other  plants  having  fleshy  and  succu- 
lent leaves,  such  as  beans,  beets,  the  tomato,  and  the  potato. 
They  injure  all  these  plants,  more  or  less,  according  to  their 
numbers,  by  nibbling  little  holes  in  the  leaves  with  their  teeth ; 
the  functions  of  the  leaves  being  thereby  impaired  in  proportion 
to  the  extent  of  surface  and  amount  of  substance  destroyed. 
The  edges  of  the  bitten  parts  become  brown  and  dry  by  expo- 
sure to  the  air,  and  assume  a  rusty  appearance.  Since  the 
prevalence  of  the  disease,  commonly  called  the  potato-rot, 
attention  has  been  particularly  directed  to  various  insects  that 
live  upon  the  potato  plant;  and,  as  these  flea-beetles  have  been 
found  upon  it  in  great  numbers,  in  some  parts  of  the  country, 
they  have  been  charged  with  being  the  cause  of  the  disease. 
The  same  charge  has  also  been  made  against  several  other 
kinds  of  insects,  some  of  which  will  be  described  in  the  course 
of  this  work.  In  my  own  opinion,  the  origin,  extension,  and 
continued  reappearance  of  this  wide-spread  pestilence  are  not 
due  to  the  depredations  of  insects  of  any  kind.  Mr.  Phanuel 
Flanders,  of  Lowell,  where  the  flea-beetles  have  appeared  in 
unusual  numbers,  showed  to  me,  in  August,  1851,  some  potato- 
leaves  that  were  completely  riddled  with  holes  by  them,  so  that 
but  little  more  than  the  ribs  and  veins  remained  untouched. 
He  thinks  that  their  ravages  may  be  prevented  by  watering 
the  leaves  with  a  solution  of  lime,  a  remedy  long  ago  employed 
in  England,  with  signal  benefit,  in  preserving  the  turnip  crop 
from  the  attacks  of  the  turnip  flea-beetle. 

The  wavy-striped  flea-beetle,  Haltica  striolata*  may  be  seen 

*  CriocerU  striolata,  Fabricius. 

15 


114  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

in  great  abundance  on  the  horse-radish,  various  kinds  of 
cresses,  and  on  the  mustard,  and  turnip,  early  in  May,  and 
indeed  at  other  times  throughout  the  summer.  It  is  very 
injurious  to  young  plants,  destroying  their  seed-leaves  as  soon 
as  the  latter  expand.  Should  it  multiply  to  any  extent,  it 
mav,  ill  time,  become  as  great  a  pest  as  the  European  turnip 
flea-beetle,  which  it  closely  resembles  in  its  appearance,  and  in 
all  its  habits.  Though  rather  larger  than  the  cucumber  ilea- 
bectle,  and  of  a  longer  oval  shape,  it  is  considerably  less  than 
one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length.  It  is  of  a  polished  black  color, 
with  a  broad  wavy  buff-colored  stripe  on  each  wing-cover,  and 
the  knees  and  feet  are  reddish  yellow.  Specimens  are  some- 
times found  having  two  buff-yellow  spots  on  each  wing-cover 
instead  of  the  wavy  stripe.  These  were  not  known,  by  Fabri- 
cius,  to  be  merely  varieties  of  the  striolata,  and  accordingly  he 
described  them  as  distinct,  under  the  name  of  bipusiulata*  the 
two-spotted. 

The  steel-blue  flea-beetle,  Haltica  chalyhea  of  Illiger,  or  the 
grape-vine  flea-beetle,  as  it  might  be  called  on  account  of  its 
habits,  is  found  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  on 
wild  and  cultivated  grape-vines,  the  buds  and  leaves  of  which 
it  destroys.  Though  it  has  received  the  specific  name  of 
chalyhea,  meaning  steel-blue,  it  is  exceedingly  variable  in  its 
color,  specimens  being  often  seen  on  the  same  vine,  of  a  dark 
purple,  violet,  Prussian  blue,  greenish  blue,  and  deep  green 
color.  The  most  common  tint  of  the  upper  side  is  a  glossy, 
deep,  greenish  blue;  the  under  side  is  dark  green;  and  the 
antenna?  and  feet  are  dull  black.  The  body  is  oblong-oval, 
and  the  hinder  part  of  the  thorax  is  marked  with  a  transverse 
furrow.  It  measures  rather  more  than  three  twentieths  of  an 
inch  in  length.  In  this  part  of  the  country  these  beetles  begin 
to  come  out  of  their  winter  quarters  towards  the  end  of  April, 
and  continue  to  appear  till  the  latter  part  of  May.  Soon  after 
their  first  appearance  they  pair,  and  probably  lay  their  eggs  on 
the  leaves  of  the  vine,  and  perhaps  on  other  plants  also.  A 
second  brood  of  the  beetles  is  found  on  the  grape-vines  towards 

•  Crioceris  biptistulata,  Fabricius. 


COLEOPTERA.  115 

the  end  of  July.  I  have  not  had  an  opportunity  to  trace  the 
history  of  these  insects  any  further,  and  consequently  their 
larvae  are  unknown  to  me.  Mr.  David  Thomas  has  given  an 
interesting  account  of  their  habits  and  ravages  in  the  twenty- 
sixth  volume  of  Silliman's  "  American  Journal  of  Science  and 
Arts."  These  brilliant  insects  were  observed  by  him,  in  the 
spring  of  1831,  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  creeping  on  the 
vines,  and  destroying  the  buds,  by  eating  out  the  central  suc- 
culent parts.  Some  had  burrowed  even  half  their  length  into 
the  buds.  When  disturbed,  they  jump  rather  than  fly,  and 
remain  where  they  fall  for  a  time  without  motion.  During  the 
same  season  these  beetles  appeared  in  unusually  great  numbers 
in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  its  vicinity,  and  the  injiu*y  done  by 
them  was  "wholly  unexampled."  "Some  vines  were  entirely 
despoiled  of  their  fruit  buds,  so  as  to  be  rendered,  for  that 
season,  barren."  Mr.  Thomas  found  the  vine-leaves  were  in- 
fested, in  the  years  1830  and  1831,  by  "small  chestnut-colored 
smooth  worms,"  and  suspecting  these  to  be  the  larvae  of  the 
beetle  (which  he  called  Chrysomela  vitivora),  he  fed  them  in  a 
tumbler,  containing  some  moist  earth,  until  they  were  fully 
grown,  when  they  buried  themselves  in  the  earth.  "  After  a 
fortnight  or  so,"  some  of  the  beetles  were  found  in  the  tumbler. 
Hence  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  former  were  the  larvae  of  the 
beetles,  and  that  they  undergo  their  transformations  in  the 
ground.  A  good  description  of  the  larvae,  and  a  more  full 
account  of  their  habits,  seasons,  and  changes,  are  still  wanted. 
In  England,  where  the  ravages  of  the  turnip  flea-beetle  have 
attracted  great  attention,  and  have  caused  many  and  various 
experiments  to  be  tried  with  a  view  of  checking  them,  it  is 
thought  that  "the  careful  and  systematic  use  of  lime  will 
obviate,  in  a  great  degree,  the  danger  which  has  been  experi- 
enced" from  this  insect.  From  this  and  other  statements  in 
favor  of  the  use  of  lime,  there  is  good  reason  to  hope  that  it 
will  effectually  protect  plants  from  the  various  kinds  of  flea- 
beetles,  if  dusted  over  them,  when  wet  with  dew,  in  proper 
season.  Watering  plants  with  alkaline  solutions,  it  is  said, 
will  kill  the  insects  without  injuring  the  plants.  The  solution 
may  be  made  by  dissolving  one  pound  of  hard  soap  in  twelve 


116  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

gallons  of  the  soap-suds  left  after  washing.  This  mLvture 
should  be  applied  twice  a  day  with  a  water-pot.  Kollar  very 
highly  recommends  watering  or  wetting  the  leaves  of  plants 
with  an  infusion  or  tea  of  wormwood,  which  prevents  the  flea- 
beetles  from  touching  them.  Perhaps  a  decoction  of  walnut- 
leaves  might  be  equally  serviceable.  Great  numbers  of  the 
beetles  may  be  caught  by  the  skilful  use  of  a  deep  bag-net  of 
muslin,  which  should  be  swept  over  the  plants  infested  by  the 
beetles,  after  which  the  latter  may  be  easily  destroyed.  This 
net  cannot  be  used  with  safety  to  catch  the  insects  on  very 
young  plants,  on  account  of  the  risk  of  bruising  or  breaking 
their  tender  leaves. 

The  Chrysomelians,  Chrysomelad-e,  properly  so  called,  form 
the  third  family  of  the  tribe  to  which  I  have  given  the  same 
name,  because  tMcse  insects  hold  the  chief  place  in  it,  in  re- 
spect to  size,  beauty,  variety,  and  numbers.  These  leaf-beetles 
are  mostly  broad  oval,  sometimes  nearly  hemispherical,  in  their 
form,  or  very  convex  above  and  flat  beneath.  The  head  is 
rather  wide,  and  not  concealed  under  the  thorax.  The  latter 
is  short,  and  broad  behind.  The  antennse  are  about  half  the 
length  of  the  body,  and  slightly  thickened  towards  the  end, 
and  arise  from  the  sides  of  the  head,  between  the  eyes  and  the 
corners  of  the  mouth;  being  much  further  apart  than  those  of 
the  Galerucians  and  flea-beetles.  The  legs  are  rather  short, 
nearly  equal  in  length,  and  the  hindmost  thighs  are  not  thicker 
than  the  others,  and  are  not  fitted  for  leaping.  The  colors  of 
these  beetles  are  often  rich  and  brilliant,  among  which  blue 
and  green,  highly  polished,  and  with  a  golden  or  metallic 
lustre,  are  the  most  common  tints.  The  larvae  are  soft-bodied, 
short,  thick,  and  slug-shaped  grubs,  with  six  legs  before,  and  a 
prop-leg  behind.  They  live  exposed  on  the  leaves  of  plants, 
which  they  eat,  and  to  which  most  of  them  fasten  themselves 
by  the  tail,  when  about  to  be  transformed.  Some,  however, 
go  into  the  ground  when  about  to  change  to  pupae.  Many  of 
these  insects,  both  in  the  larva  and  beetle  state,  have  been 
found  to  be  very  injurious  to  vegetation  in  other  countries; 
but  I  am  not  aware  that  any  of  them  have  proved  seriously 
injurious  to  cultivated  or  other  valuable  plants  in  this  country. 


COLEOPTERA.  117 

There  are  some,  it  is  true,  which  may  hereafter  increase  so  as 
to  give  us  much  trouble,  unless  effectual  means  are  taken  to 
protect  and  cherish  their  natural  enemies,  the  birds. 

The  largest  species  in  New  England  inhabits  the  common 
milk-weed,  or  silk-weed  [Asclcpias  Si/riaca),  upon  which  it 
may  be  found,  in  some  or  all  of  its  states,  from  the  middle  of 
June  till  September.  Its  head,  thorax,  body  beneath,  antennae, 
and  legs  are  deep  blue,  and  its  wing-covers  orange,  with  three 
large  black  spots  upon  them,  namely,  one  on  the  shoulder,  and 
another  on  the  tip  of  each,  and  the  third  across  the  base  of 
both  wing-covers.  Hence  it  was  named  Chrysomela  trimacu- 
lata  by  Fabricius,  or  the  three-spotted  Chrysomela.  It  is  nearly 
three  eighths  of  an  inch  long,  and  almost  hemispherical.  Its 
larvae  and  pupae  are  orange-colored,  spotted  with  black,  and  pass 
through  their  transformations  on  the  leaves  of  the  Asclepias. 

The  most  elegant  of  our  Chrysomelians  is  the  Chrysomela 
scalaris  of  Leconte,  literally  the  ladder  Chrysomela.  It  is 
about  tliree  tenths  of  an  inch  long,  and  of  a  narrower  and 
more  regularly  oval  shape  than  the  preceding.  The  head, 
thorax,  and  under  side  of  its  body  are  dark  green,  the  wing- 
covers  silvery  white,  ornamented  with  small  green  spots  on  the 
sides,  and  a  broad  jagged  stripe  along  the  suture  or  inner 
edges;  the  antennae  and  legs  are  rust-red,  and  the  wings  are 
rose-colored.  It  is  a  most  beautiful  object  when  flying,  with 
its  silvery  wing-covers,  embossed  with  green,  raised  up,  and  its 
rose-red  wings  spread  out  beneath  them.  These  beetles  inhabit 
the  lime  or  linden  [Tllia  Americana),  and  the  elm,  upon  which 
they  may  be  found  in  April,  May,  and  June,  and  a  second 
brood  of  them  in  September  and  October.  They  pass  the 
winter  in  holes,  and  under  leaves  and  moss.  The  trees  on 
which  they  live  are  sometimes  a  good  deal  injured  by  them 
and  by  their  larvae.  The  latter  are  hatched  from  eggs  laid  by 
the  beetles  on  the  leaves  in  the  spring,  and  come  to  their 
growth  towards  the  end  of  June.  They  are  then  about  six 
tenths  of  an  inch  long,  of  a  white  color,  with  a  black  line 
along  the  top  of  the  back,  and  a  row  of  small  square  black 
spots  on  each  side  of  the  body ;  the  head  is  horny  and  of  an 
ochre-yellow  color.     Like  the  grubs  of  the  preceding  species, 


118  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

these  are  short,  and  very  thick,  the  back  arching  upwards  very 
much  in  the  middle.  I  believe  that  they  go  into  the  ground 
to  turn  to  pupas.  Should  they  become  so  numerous  as  seri- 
ously to  injure  the  lime  and  elm  trees,  it  may  be  found  useful 
to  throw  decoctions  of  tobacco  or  of  walnut  leaves  on  the 
trees  by  means  of  a  garden  or  fire  engine,  a  method  which 
has  been  employed  with  good  effect  for  the  destruction  of  the 
larva3  of  Galeruca  Calmariensis. 

The  most  common  leaf-beetle  of  the  family  under  consid- 
eration is  the  blue-winged  Chrysomela,  or  ChrysomeJa  ccerulei- 
pennis  of  Say,  an  insect  hardly  distinct  from  the  European 
Chrysomela  Poli/g'oni,  and  like  the  latter  it  lives  in  great  num- 
bers on  the  common  knot-grass  [Polygomim  aviculare),  which 
it  completely  strips  of  its  leaves  two  or  three  times  in  the 
course  of  the  summer.  This  little  beetle  is  about  three  twen- 
tieths of  an  inch  long.  Its  head,  wing-covers,  and  body 
beneath  are  dark  blue ;  its  thorax  and  legs  are  dull  orange-red ; 
the  upper  side  of  its  abdomen  is  also  orange-colored ;  and  the 
antennae  and  feet  are  blackish.  The  females  have  a  very  odd 
appearance  before  they  have  laid  their  eggs,  their  abdomen 
being  enormously  swelled  out  like  a  large  orange-colored  ball, 
which  makes  it  very  difficult  for  them  to  move  about.  I  have 
found  these  insects  on  the  knot-grass  in  every  month  from 
April  to  September  inclusive.  The  larvae  eat  the  leaves  of 
the  same  plant. 

Having  described  the  largest,  the  most  elegant,  and  the  most 
common  of  our  Chrysomelians,  I  must  omit  all  the  rest,  except 
the  most  splendid,  which  was  called  Eumolpus  auratus  by  Fa- 
bricius,  that  is,  the  gilded  Eumolpus.  It  is  of  a  brilliant  golden 
green  color  above,  and  of  a  deep  purplish  green  below;  the 
legs  are  also  purple-green ;  but  the  feet  and  the  antennae  are 
blackish.  The  thorax  is  narrower  behind  than  the  wing- 
covers,  and  the  rest  of  the  body  is  more  oblong  oval  than  in 
the  foregoing  Chrysomelians.  It  is  about  three  eighths  of  an 
inch  long.  This  splendid  beetle  may  be  found  in  considerable 
numbers  on  the  leaves  of  the  dog's-bane  {Apocymim  Androsce- 
mifolium),  which  it  devours,  during  the  months  of  July  and 
August.     The  larvae  are  unknown  to  me. 


COLEOPTERA.  119 

The  fourth  family  of  the  leaf-eating  Chrysomelians  consists 
of  the  Cryptocephalians  (Cryptocephalid.e),  so  named  from 
the  principal  genus  Cryptocephalus,  a  word  signifying  concealed 
head.  These  insects  somewhat  resemble  the  beetles  of  the 
preceding  family ;  but  they  are  of  a  more  cylindrical  form,  and 
the  head  is  bent  down,  and  nearly  concealed  in  the  fore  part  of 
the  thorax.  Their  larvae  are  short,  cylindrical,  whitish  grubs, 
which  eat  the  leaves  of  plants.  Each  one  makes  for  itself  a 
little  cylindrical  or  egg-shaped  case,  of  a  substance  sometimes 
resembling  clay,  and  sometimes  like  horn,  with  an  opening  at 
one  end,  within  which  the  grub  lives,  putting  out  its  head  and 
fore  legs  when  it  wishes  to  eat  or  to  move.  When  it  is  fully 
grown,  it  stops  up  the  open  end  of  its  case,  and  changes  to  a 
pupa,  and  afterwards  to  a  beetle  within  it,  and  then  gnaws  a 
hole  through  the  case,  in  order  to  escape.  As  none  of  these 
insects  have  been  observed  to  do  much  injury  to  plants  in  this 
country,  I  shall  state  nothing  more  respecting  them,  than  that 
Clythra  dominicana  inhabits  the  sumach,  C.  quadriguttata  oak- 
trees,  Chlamys  gibbosa  low  whortleberry  bushes,  Crytocephalus 
luridus  the  wild  indigo-bush,  and  most  of  the  other  species 
may  be  found  on  different  kinds  of  oaks. 


Although  the  blistering  beetles,  or  Cantharides  (Canthari- 
did.e),  have  been  enumerated  among  the  insects  directly  bene- 
ficial to  man,  on  account  of  the  important  use  made  of  them 
in  medical  practice,  yet  it  must  be  admitted  that  they  are  often 
very  injurious  to  vegetation.  The  green  Cantharides,  or  Spa- 
nish flies,  as  they  are  commonly  called,  are  found  in  the  South 
of  Europe,  and  particularly  in  Spain  and  Italy,  where  they  are 
collected  in  great  quantities  for  exportation.  In  these  countries 
they  sometimes  appear  in  immense  swarms,  on  the  privet,  lilac, 
and  ash;  so  that  the  limbs  of  these  plants  bend  under  their 
weight,  and  are  entirely  stripped  of  their  foliage  by  these  leaf- 
eating  beetles.  In  like  manner  our  native  Cantharides  devour 
the  leaves  of  plants,  and  sometimes  prove  very  destructive  to 
them. 


120  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  Cantharides  arc  distinguished  from  all  the  preceding 
insects  by  their  feet,  the  hindmost  pair  of  which  have  only  four 
joints,  while  the  first  and  middle  pairs  are  five-jointed.  In  this 
respect  they  agree  with  many  other  beetles,  such  as  clocks  or 
darkling  beetles,  meal-beetles,  some  of  the  mushroom-beetles, 
flat  bark-beetles,  and  the  like,  with  which  they  form  a  large 
and  distinct  section  of  Coleopterous  insects.  The  following 
are  the  most  striking  peculiarities  of  the  family  to  which  the 
blistering  beetles  belong.  The  head  is  broad  and  nearly  heart- 
shaped,  and  it  is  joined  to  the  thorax  by  a  narrow  neck.  The 
antennae  are  rather  long  and  tapering,  sometimes  knotted  in 
the  middle,  particularly  in  the  males.  The  thorax  varies  in 
form,  but  is  generally  much  narrower  than  the  wing-covers. 
The  latter  are  soft  and  flexible,  more  or  less  bent  down  at  the 
sides  of  the  body,  usually  long  and  narrow,  sometimes  short 
and  overlapping  on  their  inner  edges.  The  legs  are  long  and 
slender ;  the  soles  of  the  feet  are  not  broad,  and  are  not  cush- 
ioned beneath ;  and  the  claws  are  split  to  the  bottom,  or  double, 
so  that  there  appear  to  be  four  claws  to  each  foot.  The  body 
is  quite  soft,  and  when  handled,  a  yellowish  fluid,  of  a  disa- 
greeable smell,  comes  out  of  the  joints.  These  beetles  are 
timid  insects,  and  when  alarmed  they  draw  up  their  legs  and 
feign  themselves  dead.  Nearly  all  of  them  have  the  power  of 
raising  blisters  when  applied  to  the  skin,  and  they  retain  it 
even  when  dead  and  perfectly  dry.  It  is  chiefly  this  property 
that  renders  them  valuable  to  physicians.  Four  of  our  native 
Cantharides  have  been  thus  successfully  employed,  and  are 
found  to  be  as  powerful  in  their  effects  as  the  imported  species. 
For  further  particulars  relative  to  their  use,  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  my  account  of  them  published  in  1824,  in  the  first 
volume  of  "  The  Boston  Journal  of  Philosophy,  and  the  Arts," 
and  in  the  thirteenth  volume  of  "  The  New  England  Medical 
and  Surgical  Journal." 

Occasionally  potato-vines  are  very  much  infested  by  two 
or  three  kinds  of  Cantharides,  swarms  of  which  attack  and 
destroy  the  leaves  during  midsummer.  One  of  these  kinds 
has  thereby  obtained  the  name  of  the  potato-fly.     It  is  the 


COLEOPTERA.  121 

Cantharis  vittata*  or  striped  Cantharis.  It  is  of  a  dull  tawny 
yellow  or  light  ycUowish  red  color  above,  with  two  black  spots 
on  the  head,  and  two  black  stripes  on  the  thorax  and  on  each 
of  the  wing-covers.  The  under  side  of  the  body,  the  legs,  and 
the  antenna  are  black,  and  covered  with  a  grayish  down.  Its 
length  is  from  five  to  six  tenths  of  an  inch.  In  this  and  the 
three  following  species  the  thorax  is  very  much  narrowed 
before,  and  the  wing-covers  are  long  and  narrow,  and  cover 
the  whole  of  the  back.  The  striped  Cantharis  is  comparatively 
rare  in  New  England ;  but  in  the  Middle  and  Western  States 
it  often  appears  in  great  numbers,  and  does  much  mischief  in 
potato-fields  and  gardens,  eating  up  not  only  the  leaves  of  the 
potato,  but  those  of  many  other  vegetables.  It  is  one  of  the 
insects  to  which  the  production  of  the  jmtato-rot  has  been 
ascribed.  The  habits  of  this  kind  of  Cantharis  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  following  species. 

There  is  a  large  blistering  beetle  which  is  very  common  on 
the  virgin's  bower  ( Clematis  Virgimana),  a  trailing  plant,  which 
growls  wild  in  the  fields,  and  is  often  cultivated  for  covering 
arbors.  I  have  sometimes  seen  this  plant  completely  stripped 
of  its  leaves  by  these  insects,  during  the  month  of  August. 
They  are  very  shy,  and  when  disturbed  fall  immediately  from 
the  leaves,  and  attempt  to  conceal  themselves  among  the 
grass.  They  most  commonly  resort  to  the  low  branches  of 
the  Clematis,  or  those  that  trail  upon  the  ground,  and  more 
rarely  attack  the  upper  parts  of  the  vine.  They  also  eat  the 
leaves  of  various  kinds  of  Ranunculus  or  buttercups,  and,  in 
the  Middle  and  Southern  States,  those  of  Clematis  viorna  and 
crispa.  This  beetle  is  the  Cantharis  marginata  of  Olivier,  or 
margined  Cantharis.  It  measures  six  or  seven  tenths  of  an 
inch  in  length.  Its  head  and  thorax  are  thickly  covered  with 
short  gray  down,  and  have  a  black  spot  on  the  upper  side  of 
each;  the  wing-covers  are  black,  with  a  very  narrow  gray 
edging;  and  the  under  side  of  the  body  and  the  legs  are  also 

gray. 

The  most  destructive  kind  of  Cantharis,  found  in  Massa- 


*  Lytta  vittata,  Fabriciusi 

16 


122  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  ^TIGETATION. 

chusetts,  is  of  a  more  slender  form  than  the  preceding,  and 
measures  only  from  five  and  a  half  to  sL\  tenths  of  an  inch  in 
Icnp-th.  Its  antenna;  and  feet  are  black,  and  all  the  rest  of  its 
body  is  ashen  gray,  being  thicldy  covered  with  a  very  short 
down  of  that  color.  Hence  it  is  called  Cantharis  cinerea*  or 
the  ash-colored  Cantharis.  When  the  insect  is  rubbed,  the 
ash-colored  substance  comes  off,  leaving  the  surface  black.  It 
beo-ins  to  appear  in  gardens  about  the  twentieth  of  June,  and 
is  very  fond  of  the  leaves  of  the  English  bean,  which  it  some- 
times entirely  destroys.  It  is  also  occasionally  found  in  con- 
siderable numbers  on  potato-vines ;  and  in  Cambridge,  Massa- 
chusetts, it  has  repeatedly  appeared  in  great  profusion  upon 
hedges  of  the  honey-locust,  which  have  been  entirely  stripped 
of  foliage  by  these  voracious  insects.  They  are  also  found  on 
the  wild  indigo-weed.  In  the  night,  and  in  rainy  weather, 
they  descend  from  the  plants,  and  buiTow  in  the  ground,  or 
under  leaves  and  tufts  of  grass.  Thither  also  they  retire  for 
shelter  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  being  most  actively  engaged 
in  eating  in  the  morning  and  evening.  About  the  first  of 
August  they  go  into  the  ground  and  lay  their  eggs,  and  these 
are  hatched  in  the  course  of  one  month.  The  larvEE  are  slen- 
der, somewhat  flattened  grubs,  of  a  yellowish  color,  banded 
with  black,  with  a  small  reddish  head,  and  six  legs.  These 
grubs  are  very  active  in  their  motions,  and  appear  to  live  upon 
fine  roots  in  the  gi-ound;  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  keep 
them  till  they  arrived  at  maturity,  and  therefore  know  nothing 
further  of  their  history. 

About  the  middle  of  August,  and  during  the  rest  of  this 
and  the  following  month,  a  jet-black  Cantharis  may  be  seen 
on  potato-vines,  and  also  on  the  blossoms  and  leaves  of  various 
kinds  of  golden-rod,  particularly  the  tall  golden-rod  {Solidag-o 
a/tissima)j  which  seems  to  be  its  favorite  food.  In  some  places 
it  is  as  plentiful  in  potato-fields  as  the  striped  and  the  mar- 
gined Cantharis,  and  by  its  serious  ravages  has  often  excited 
attention.  These  three  kinds,  in  fact,  are  often  confounded 
under  the  common  name  of  potato-liies ;  and  it  is  still  more 

*  Lytta  cinerea,  Fabricius. 


COLEOPTERA.  123 

remarkable,  that  they  are  collected  for  medical  use,  and  are 
sold  in  our  shops  by  the  name  of  Cantharis  vittata,  without  a 
suspicion  of  their  being  distinct  from  each  other.  The  black 
Cantharis,  or  Cantharis  atrata*  is  totally  black,  without  bands 
or  spots,  and  measures  from  four  tenths  to  half  of  an  inch  in 
length.  I  have  repeatedly  taken  these  insects,  in  considerable 
quantities,  by  brushing  or  shaking  them  from  the  potato-vines 
into  a  broad  tin  pan,  from  which  they  were  emptied  into  a 
covered  pail  containing  a  little  water  in  it,  which,  by  wetting 
their  wings,  prevented  their  flying  out  when  the  pail  was  un- 
covered. The  same  method  may  be  employed  for  taking  the 
other  kinds  of  Cantharides,  when  they  become  troublesome 
and  destructive  from  their  numbers ;  or  they  may  be  cauglit 
by  gently  sweeping  the  plants  they  frequent  with  a  deep  muslin 
bag-net.  They  should  be  killed  by  throwing  them  into  scald- 
ing water,  for  one  or  two  minutes,  after  which  they  may  be 
spread  out  on  sheets  of  paper  to  dry,  and  may  be  made  profit- 
able by  selling  them  to  the  apothecaries  for  medical  use. 

There  are  some  blistering  beetles,  belonging  to  another 
genus,  which  seem  deserving  of  a  passing  notice,  not  on 
account  of  any  gi*eat  injury  committed  by  them,  but  because 
they  can  be  used  in  medicine  like  the  foregoing,  and  are  con- 
sidered by  some  naturalists  as  forming  one  of  the  links 
connecting  the  orders  Coleoptera  and  Orthoptera  together. 
These  insects  belong  to  the  genus  Meloe,  so  named,  it  is  sup- 
posed, because  they  are  of  a  black,  or  deep  blue-black  color. 
They  are  called  oil-beetles,  in  England,  on  account  of  the 
yellowish  liquid  which  oozes  from  their  joints  in  large  drops 
when  they  are  handled.  Their  head  is  large,  heart-shaped, 
and  bent  down,  as  in  the  other  blistering  beetles.  Their  thorax 
is  narrowed  behind,  and  very  small  in  proportion  to  the  rest  of 
the  body.  The  latter  is  egg-shaped,  pointed  behind,  and  so 
enormously  large,  that  it  drags  on  the  ground  when  the  beetle 
attempts  to  walk.  The  wings  are  wanting,  and  of  course  these 
insects  are  unable  to  fly,  although  they  have  a  pair  of  very 
short  oval  wing-covers,  which  overlap  on  their  inner  edges, 

*  Lytla  atrata,  Fabricius. 


124  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  do  not  cover  more  than  one  third  of  the  abdomen.  These 
beetles  eat  the  leaves  of  various  kinds  of  buttercups. 

Our  common  species  is  the  Meloe  angvsticoUis  of  Say,  or 
narrow-necked  oil-beetle.  It  is  of  a  dark  indigo-blue  color;  the 
thorax  is  very  narrow,  and  the  antennrc  of  the  male  are  curi- 
ously twisted  and  knotted  in  the  middle.  It  measures  from 
eight  tenths  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  in  length.  It  is  very  com- 
mon on  buttercups  in  the  autumn,  and  I  have  also  found  it 
eating  the  leaves  of  potato-vines. 

The  foregoing  insects  are  but  a  small  number  of  those, 
belonging  to  the  order  Coleoptera,  which  are  injurious  to 
vegetation.  Those  only  have  been  selected  that  are  the  most 
remarkable  for  their  ravages,  or  would  best  serve  to  illustrate 
the  families  and  genera  to  which  they  belong.  The  orders 
Orthoptera,  Hemiptera,  Lepidoptera,  Hymenoptera,  and  Di- 
ptera,  remain  to  be  treated  in  the  same  way,  in  carrying  out 
the  plan  upon  which  this  treatise  has  been  begun,  and  to  which 
it  is  limited. 


ORTHOPTERA.  183 


ORTHOPTERA. 

Earwigs.  Cockroaches.  —  !Mante9,  or  Soothsayers.  —  Walking  Leaves. 
Walking  Sticks,  or  Spectres.  — Mole-Cricket.  Field  Crickets.  Climb- 
ing Cricket.    Wingless-Cricket.     Grasshoppers.     Katt-did.     Locusts. 

The  destructive  insects  popularly  known  in  this  country  by 
the  name  of  grasshoppers,  but  which,  in  our  version  of  the 
Bible,  and  in  other  works  in  the  English  language,  are  called 
locusts,  have,  from  a  period  of  very  high  antiquity,  attracted 
the  attention  of  mankind  by  their  extensive  and  laiuentable 
ravages.  It  should  here  be  remarked,  that  in  America  the 
name  of  locust  is  very  improperly  given  to  the  Cicada  of  the 
ancients,  or  the  harvest-fly  of  English  writers,  some  kinds  of 
which  will  be  the  subject  of  future  remark  in  this  treatise. 
The  name  of  locust  will  here  be  restricted  to  certain  kinds 
of  grasshoppers;  while  the  popularly  named  locust,  which, 
according  to  common  belief,  appears  only  once  in  seventeen 
years,  must  drop  this  name  and  take  the  more  correct  one  of 
Cicada  or  harvest-fly.  The  very  frequent  misapplication  of 
names,  by  persons  unacquainted  with  natural  history,  is  one 
of  the  greatest  obstacles  to  the  progress  of  science,  and  shows 
how  necessary  it  is  that  things  should  be  caUed  by  their  right 
names,  if  the  observations  communicated  respecting  them  are 
to  be  of  any  service.  Every  intelligent  farmer  is  capable  of 
becoming  a  good  observer,  and  of  making  valuable  discoveries 
in  natural  history ;  but  if  he  be  ignorant  of  the  proper  names 
of  the  objects  examined,  or  if  he  give  to  them  names,  which 
previously  have  been  applied  by  other  persons  to  entirely 
different  objects,  he  will  fail  to  make  the  result  of  his  observa- 
tions intelligible  and  useful  to  the  community. 

The  insects  which  I  here  call  locusts,  together  with  other 
grasshoppers,  earwigs,  crickets,  spectres  or  walldng  sticks,  and 
walking  leaves,  soothsayers,  cockroaches,  &c.,  belong  to  an 
order  called   Orthoptera,  literally  straight  wings;  for  their 


12^  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

wings,  when  not  in  use,  are  folded  lengthwise  in  narrow  plaits 
like  a  fan,  and  are  laid  straight  along  the  top  or  sides  of  the 
back.  They  are  also  covered  by  a  pair  of  thicker  wing-like 
members,  which,  in  the  locusts  and  grasshoppers,  are  long  and 
narrow,  and  lie  lengthwise  on  the  sides  of  the  body,  sloping 
out^vards  on  each  side  like  the  roof  of  a  house ;  in  the  cock- 
roaches, these  upper  wings  or  wing-covers  are  broader,  almost 
oval,  and  lie  horizontally  on  the  top  of  the  back,  overlapping 
on  their  inner  edges ;  and  in  the  crickets,  the  wing-covers,  when 
closed,  are  placed  like  those  of  cockroaches,  but  have  a  narrow 
outer  border,  which  is  folded  perpendicularly  downwards  so  as 
to  cover  the  sides  of  the  body  also. 

All  the  Orthoptcrous  insects  are  provided  with  transversely 
movable  jaws,  more  or  less  like  those  of  beetles,  but  they  do 
not  undergo  a  complete  transformation  in  coming  to  maturity. 
The  young,  in  fact,  often  present  a  close  resemblance  to  the 
adult  insects  in  form,  and  differ  from  them  chiefly  in  wanting 
wungs.  They  move  about  and  feed  precisely  like  their  parents, 
but  change  their  skins  repeatedly  before  they  come  to  their  full 
size.  The  second  stage  in  the  progress  of  the  Orthoptcrous 
insects  to  maturity,  is  not,  like  that  of  beetles,  a  state  of  in- 
activity and  rest,  in  which  the  insect  loses  the  grub-like  or 
larva  form  which  it  had  when  hatched  from  the  egg^  and  be- 
comes a  pnpa  or  chrysalis,  more  nearly  resembling  the  form  of 
a  beetle,  but  soft,  whitish,  and  with  its  undeveloped  wings  and 
limbs  incased  in  a  thin  transparent  skin  which  impedes  all 
motion.  On  the  contrary,  the  Orthoptera,  in  the  pupa  state, 
do  not  differ  from  the  young  and  from  the  old  insects,  except 
in  having  the  rudiments  of  wings  and  wing-covers  projecting, 
like  little  scales,  from  the  back  near  the  thorax.  These  pupae 
are  active  and  voracious,  and  increase  greatly  in  size,  which  is 
not  the  case  with  the  insects  that  arc  subject  to  a  complete 
transformation,  for  such  never  eat  or  grow  in  the  pupa  state. 
When  fully  grown,  they  cast  off  their  skins  for  the  sixth  or 
last  time,  and  then  appear  in  the  adult  or  perfect  state,  fully 
provided  with  all  their  members,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
kinds  which  remain  wingless  throughout  their  whole  lives. 
The  slight  changes  to  which  the  Orthoptera  are  subject,  con- 


ORTHOPTERA.  127 

sist  of  nothing  more  than  a  successive  series  of  moultings, 
during  which  their  wings  are  gradually  developed.  These 
changes  may  receive  the  name  of  imperfect  or  incomplete 
transformation,  in  contradistinction  to  the  far  greater  changes 
exhibited  by  those  insects  which  pass  through  a  complete 
transformation  in  their  progress  to  maturity. 

Cockroaches  are  general  feeders,  and  nothing  comes  amiss 
to  them,  whether  of  vegetable  or  animal  nature ;  the  Mantes 
or  soothsayers  are  predaceous  and  carnivorous,  devouring 
weaker  insects,  and  even  those  of  their  own  kind  occasionally ; 
but  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  Orthopterous  insects  subsist 
on  vegetable  food,  grass,  flowers,  fruits,  the  leaves,  and  even 
the  bark  of  trees :  whence  it  follows,  in  connexion  with  their 
considerable  size,  their  great  voracity,  and  the  immense  troops 
or  swarms  in  which  they  too  often  appear,  that  they  are 
capable  of  doing  great  injury  to  vegetation. 

The  Orthoptera  may  be  divided  into  four  large  groups : 

1.  Runners  ( Orthoptera  cursoria*),  including  earwigs  and 
cockroaches,  with  all  the  legs  fitted  for  rapid  motion ; 

2.  Graspers  ( Orthoptera  raptoria),  such  as  the  Mantes,  or 
soothsayers,  with  the  shanks  of  the  fore  legs  capable  of  being 
doubled  upon  the  under  side  of  the  thigh,  which,  moreover,  is 
armed  with  teeth,  and  thus  forms  an  instrument  for  seizing 
and  holding  their  prey ; 

3.  Walkers  ( Orthoptera  ambulatoria),  like  the  spectres  or 
walking  sticks,  having  weak  and  slender  legs,  which  do  not 
admit  of  rapid  motion  ;  and 

4.  Jumpers  [Orthoptera  saltatoria),  such  as  crickets,  grass- 
hoppers, and  locusts,  in  which  the  thighs  of  the  hind  legs  are 
much  larger  than  the  others,  and  are  filled  and  moved  with 
powerful  muscles,  which  enable  these  insects  to  leap  with 
facility. 

I.     RUNNERS.     {Orthoptera  Cursoria.) 

In  English  works  on  gardening,  earwigs  are  reckoned  among 
obnoxious  insects,  various  remedies  are  suggested  to  banish 

*  These  are  the  four  divisions  proposed  by  Mr.  Westwood  in  his  "Introduc- 
tion," who,  however,  applies  to  them  their  Latin  names  only. 


128  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

them  from  the  garden,  and  even  traps  and  other  devices  are 
described  for  capturing  and  destroying  them.  They  have  a 
rather  long  and  somewhat  flattened  body,  which  is  armed  at 
the  hinder  end  with  a  pair  of  slender  sharp-pointed  blades, 
opening  and  shutting  horizontally  like  scissors,  or  like  a  pair 
of  nipjiers,  which  suggested  the  name  of  Forficula,  literally 
little  nippers,  applied  to  them  by  scientific  writers.  Although 
no  well  authenticated  instances  are  on  record  of  their  entering 
the  human  ear,  yet,  during  the  daytime,  they  creep  into  all 
kinds  of  crevices  for  the  sake  of  concealment,  and  come  out 
to  feed  chiefly  by  night.  It  is  common  with  English  gardeners 
to  hang  up,  among  the  flowers  and  fruit-trees  subject  to  their 
attacks,  pieces  of  hollow  reeds,  lobster  claws,  and  the  like, 
which  offer  enticing  places  of  retreat  for  these  insects  on  the 
approach  of  daylight,  and  by  means  thereof  great  numbers  of 
them  are  obtained  in  the  morning.  The  little  creeping  animal, 
with  numerous  legs,  commonly  but  erroneously  called  earwig 
in  America,  is  not  an  insect ;  but  of  the  true  earwig  we  have 
several  species,  though  they  are  by  no  means  common,  and 
certainly  never  appear  in  such  numbers  as  to  prove  seriously 
injurious  to  vegetation.  Nevertheless,  it  seemed  well  to  give 
to  this  kind  of  insect  a  passing  notice  in  its  proper  place 
among  the  Orthoptera,  were  it  only  for  its  notoriety  in  other 
countries. 

Of  cockroaches  (Blatta)  we  have  also  several  kinds ;  those 
which  are  indigenous  I  believe  are  found  exclusively  in  woods, 
under  stones  and  leaves,  while  the  others,  and  particularly  the 
Oriental  cockroach  {Blatta  orientalis),  which  is  supposed  to 
have  originated  in  Asia,  whence  it  has  spread  to  Europe,  and 
thence  to  America,  and  has  multiplied  and  become  established 
in  most  of  our  maritime  commercial  towns,  are  domestic  spe- 
cies, and  are  found  in  houses,  under  kitchen  hearths,  about 
ovens,  and  in  dark  and  warm  closets,  whence  they  issue  at 
night,  and  prowl  about  in  search  of  food.  But,  as  these  dis- 
gusting and  ill-smelling  insects  confine  themselves  to  our 
dwellings,  and  do  not  visit  our  gardens  and  fields,  they  will 
require  no  further  remarks  than  the  mention  of  a  method 
which  has  sometimes  been  found  useful  in  destroying  them. 


ORTHOPTERA.  129 

Mix  together  a  table-spoonful  of  red-lead  and  of  Indian  meal 
with  molasses  enough  to  make  a  thick  batter,  and  place  the 
mixture  at  night  on  a  plate  or  piece  of  board  in  the  closets  or 
on  the  hearths  frequented  by  the  cockroaches.  They  will  eat 
it  and  become  poisoned  thereby.  The  dose  is  to  be  repeated 
for  several  nights  in  succession.  Dr.  F.  H.  Horner*  recom- 
mends the  following  preparation  to  destroy  cockroaches.  JVIix 
one  teaspoonful  of  powdered  arsenic  with  a  table-spoonful  of 
mashed  potato,  and  crumble  one  third  of  it,  every  night,  at 
bedtime,  about  the  kitchen  hearth,  or  where  the  insects  will 
find  and  devour  it.  As  both  of  these  preparations  are  very 
poisonous,  great  care  should  be  taken  in  the  use  of  them,  and 
of  any  portions  that  may  be  left  by  the  insects. 


II.     GRASPERS.     {Orthoptera  raptoria.) 

These,  which  consist  of  the  Mantes,  called  praying  mantes 
and  soothsayers,  from  their  singular  attitudes  and  motions,  and 
camel-crickets,  from  the  great  length  of  the  neck,  are  chiefly 
tropical  insects,  though  some  of  them  are  occasionally  found 
in  this  country.  Moreover,  they  are  exclusively  predaceous 
insects,  seizing,  with  their  singular  fore  legs,  caterpillars,  and 
other  weaker  insects  which  they  devour.  They  are,  therefore, 
to  be  enumerated  among  the  insects  that  are  beneficial  to  man- 
kind, by  keeping  in  check  those  that  subsist  on  vegetable  food. 

III.     WALKERS.     (^Orthopfera  ambulator ia.) 

To  this  division  belong  various  insects,  mostly  found  in 
warm  climates,  and  displaying  the  most  extraordinary  forms. 
Some  of  them  are  furnished  with  wings,  which,  by  their  shape, 
and  the  branching  veins  with  which  they  are  covered,  exactly 
represent  leaves,  either  green,  or  dry  and  withered ;  such  are 
the  walking  leaves,  as  they  are  called  [Phylliuni  pulchrifoUum, 
siccifolium,  &c.).  Others  are  wingless,  of  a  long  and  cylindrical 
shape,  resembling  a  stick  with  the  bark  on  it,  while  the  slender 

*  Do-wning's  Horticulturist.    Vol.  11.  p.  343  (Jan.  1848). 

17 


130  INSECTS  IXnJRIOTJS  TO  ^TIGETATION. 

legs,  standing  out  on  each  side,  give  to  these  insects  almost 
precisely  the  appearance  of  a  little  branching  twig,  whence  is 
derived  the  name  of  walking  sticks,  generally  applied  to  them. 
The  South  American  Bacteria  armnatia,  rnbispinosa,  and  pfiijl- 
lina,  and  two  species  of  Diapheromera?  described  and  figured 
in  Say's  "American  Entomology,"  under  the  names  of  Spectrum 
femoratum  and  bivittatum,  are  of  the  latter  description.  These 
insects  are  very  sluggish  and  inactive,  are  found  among  trees 
and  bushes,  on  which  they  often  remain  motionless  for  a  long 
time,  or  walk  slowly  over  the  leaves  and  young  shoots,  which 
are  their  appropriate  food.  The  American  species  are  not  so 
numerous,  and  have  not  proved  so  injurious  as  particularly  to 
attract  attention. 


rV.     JUMPERS.     {Orthoptera  saltatoria.) 

These  are  by  far  the  most  abundant  and  prolific,  and  the 
most  destructive  of  the  Orthopterous  insects.  They  were  all 
included  by  Linnaeus  in  his  great  genus  Gryllus,  in  separate 
divisions,  however,  three  of  which  correspond  to  the  families 
Aclietadce*  Gri/lliadce,\  and  LocustiadcE^X  "^  ^^^Y  "  Catalogue  of 
the  Insects  of  Massachusetts,"  and  may  retain  the  synonymous 
English  names  of  Crickets,  Grasshoppers,  and  Locusts.  These 
three  families  may  thus  be  distinguished  from  each  other. 

1.  Crickets  (Achetad^);  with  the  wing-covers  horizontal, 
and  furnished  with  a  narrow,  deflcxed  outer  border;  antennsB 
long  and  tapering;  feet  three-jointed  (except  CEcanthus,  which 
has  four  joints  to  the  hind  feet) ;  two  tapering,  downy  bristles 
at  the  end  of  the  body,  between  which,  in  most  of  the  females, 
there  is  a  long  spear-pointed  piercer. 

2.  Grasshoppers  (Gryllid.e);  with  the  wing-covers  sloping 
downwards  at  the  sides  of  the  body,  or  roofed,  and  not  bor- 
dered; antennae  long  and  tapering;  feet  with  four  joints;  end 
of  the  body,  in  the  females,  with  a  projecting  sword  or  sabre- 
shaped  piercer. 

3.  Locusts  (LocusTAD^);  with  the  wing-covers  roofed,  and 

*  Gryllus  Acheta,  Linnseus.      f  Gryllus  Tettigonia,  L.      %  Gryllus  Locusta,  L. 


ORTHOPTERA.  131 

not  bordered ;  antennae  rather  short,  and  in  general  not  tapering 
at  the  end ;  feet  with  only  three  joints ;  female  without  a  pro- 
jecting piercer. 

1.  Crickets.     [Achetadce.) 

There  may  sometimes  be  seen  in  moist  and  soft  gromid, 
particularly  around  ponds,  little  ridges  or  hills  of  loose  fresh 
earth,  smaller  than  those  which  are  formed  by  moles.  They 
cover  little  burrows,  that  usually  terminate  beneath  a  stone  or 
clod  of  turf.  These  burrows  are  made  and  inhabited  by  mole- 
crickets,  which  are  among  the  most  extraordinary  of  the  cricket 
kind.  The  common  mole-cricket  of  this  country  is,  when  fully 
grown,  about  one  inch  and  a  quarter  in  length,  of  a  light  bay 
or  fawn  color,  and  covered  with  a  very  short  and  velvet-like 
down.  The  wing-covers  are  not  half  the  length  of  the  abdo- 
men, and  the  wings  are  also  short,  their  tips,  when  folded, 
extending  only  about  one  eighth  of  an  inch  beyond  the  wing- 
covers.  The  fore  legs  are  admirably  adapted  for  digging, 
being  very  short,  broad,  and  strong ;  and  the  shanks,  which 
are  excessively  broad,  flat,  and  three-sided,  have  the  lower  side 
divided  by  deep  notches  into  four  finger-like  projections,  that 
give  to  this  part  very  much  the  appearance  and  the  power  of 
the  hand  of  a  mole.  From  this  similarity  in  structure,  and 
from  its  burrowing  habits,  this  insect  receives  its  scientific 
name  of  Gryllotalpa^  derived  from  Gri/Ilus,  the  ancient  name 
of  the  cricket,  and  Talpa,  a  mole;  and  our  common  species 
has  the  additional  name  of  brevipennis*  or  short-winged,  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  European  species,  which  has  much 
longer  wings.  Mole-crickets  avoid  the  light  of  day,  and  are 
active  chiefly  during  the  night.  They  live  on  the  tender  roots 
of  plants,  and  in  Europe,  where  they  infest  moist  gardens  and 
meadows,  they  often  do  great  injury  by  burrowing  under  the 
turf,  and  cutting  off  the  roots  of  the  grass,  and  by  undermining 
and  destroying,  in  this  way,  sometimes  whole  beds  of  cabbages, 
beans,  and  flowers.     In  the  West  Indies,  extensive  ravages 

*  Seryille.     "  Orthopteres,"  p.  308. 


132  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

have  been  committed  in  the  plantations  of  the  sugar-cane,  by 
another  species,  Gryllotalpa  didactyla,  which  has  only  two 
finger-like  projections  on  the  shin.  The  mole-cricket  of  Europe 
lays  from  two  to  three  hundred  eggs,  and  the  young  do  not 
come  to  maturity  till  the  third  year ;  circumstances  both  con- 
tributing greatly  to  increase  the  ravages  of  these  insects.  It 
is  observed,  that,  in  proportion  as  cultivation  is  extended,  de- 
structive insects  multiply,  and  their  depredations  become  more 
serious.  We  may,  therefore,  in  process  of  time,  find  mole- 
crickets  in  this  country  quite  as  much  a  pest  as  they  are  in 
Europe,  although  their  depredations  have  hitherto  been  limited 
to  so  small  an  extent  as  not  to  have  attracted  much  notice. 
Should  it  hereafter  become  necessary  to  employ  means  for 
checking  them,  poisoning  might  be  tried,  such  as  placing,  in 
the  vicinity  of  their  burrows,  grated  carrots  or  potatoes  mixed 
with  arsenic.  It  is  well  known  that  swine  will  eat  almost  all 
kinds  of  insects,  and  that  they  are  very  sagacious  in  rooting 
them  out  of  the  ground.  They  might,  therefore,  be  employed 
with  advantage  to  destroy  these  and  other  noxious  insects,  if 
other  means  should  fail. 

We  have  no  house-crickets  in  America;  our  species  inhabit 
gardens  and  fields,  and  enter  our  houses  only  by  accident. 
Crickets  are,  in  great  measure,  nocturnal  and  solitary  insects, 
concealing  themselves  by  day,  and  coming  from  their  retreats 
to  seek  their  food  and  their  mates  by  night.  There  are  some 
species,  however,  which  differ  greatly  from  the  others  in  their 
social  habits.  These  are  not  unfrequently  seen  during  the 
daytime  in  great  numbers  in  paths,  and  by  the  road  side ;  but 
the  other  kinds  rarely  expose  themselves  to  the  light  of  day, 
and  their  music  is  heard  only  at  night.  With  crickets,  as  with 
grasshoppers,  locusts,  and  harvest-flies,  the  males  only  are 
musical ;  for  the  females  are  not  provided  with  the  instruments 
from  which  the  sounds  emitted  by  these  different  insects  are 
produced.  In  the  male  cricket  these  make  a  part  of  the  wing- 
covers,  the  horizontal  and  overlapping  portion  of  which,  near 
the  thorax,  is  convex,  and  marked  with  large,  strong,  and 
irregularly  curved  veins.  When  the  cricket  shrills  (we  cannot 
say  sings,  for  he  has  no  vocal  organs),  he  raises  the  wing-covers 


ORTHOPTERA.  133 

a  little,  and  shuffles  them  together  lengthwise,  so  that  the  pro- 
jecting veins  of  one  are  made  to  grate  against  those  of  the 
other.  The  English  name  cricket,  and  the  French  cri-cri,  are 
evidently  derived  from  the  creaking  sounds  of  these  insects. 
Mr.  White,  of  Selborne,  says  that  "the  shrilling  of  the  field- 
cricket,  though  sharp  and  stridulous,  yet  marvellously  delights 
some  hearers,  filling  their  minds  with  a  train  of  summer  ideas 
of  everything  that  is  rural,  verdurous,  and  joyous" ;  sentiments 
in  which  few  persons,  if  any,  in  America  wiU  participate ;  for 
with  us  the  creaking  of  crickets  does  not  begin  till  summer  is 
gone,  and  the  continued  and  monotonous  sounds,  which  they 
keep  up  during  the  whole  night,  so  long  as  autumn  lasts,  are 
both  wearisome  and  sad.  Where  crickets  abound,  they  do 
great  injury  to  vegetation,  eating  the  most  tender  parts  of 
plants,  and  even  devouring  roots  and  fruits,  whenever  they 
can  get  them.  Melons,  squashes,  and  even  potatoes  are  often 
eaten  by  them,  and  the  quantity  of  grass  that  they  destroy 
must  be  great,  from  the  immense  numbers  of  these  insects 
which  are  sometimes  seen  in  our  meadows  and  fields.  They 
may  be  poisoned  in  the  same  way  as  mole-crickets.  Crickets 
are  not  entirely  confined  to  a  vegetable  diet;  they  devour  other 
insects  whenever  they  can  meet  with  and  can  overpower  them. 
They  deposit  their  eggs,  which  are  numerous,  in  the  ground, 
making  holes  for  their  reception,  with  their  long,  spear-pointed 
piercers.  The  eggs  are  laid  in  the  autumn,  and  do  not  appear 
to  be  hatched  till  the  ensuing  summer.  The  old  insects,  for 
the  most  part,  die  on  the  approach  of  cold  weather ;  but  a  few 
survive  the  winter,  by  sheltering  themselves  under  stones,  or  in 
holes  secure  from  the  access  of  water. 

The  scientific  name  of  the  genus  that  includes  the  cricket 
is  Acheta,  and  our  common  species  is  the  Aclieta  ahhreviata, 
so  named  from  the  shortness  of  its  wings,  which  do  not  extend 
beyond  the  wing-covers.  It  is  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch 
in  length,  of  a  black  color,  with  a  brownish  tinge  at  the  base 
of  the  wing-covers,  and  a  pale  line  on  each  side  above  the 
deflexed  border.  The  pale  line  is  most  distinct  in  the  female, 
and  is  oftentimes  entirely  wanting  in  the  male. 


184  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

We  have  another  species  with  very  short  or  abortive  wings ; 
it  is  entirely  of  a  black  color,  and  measures  six  tenths  of  an 
inch  in  length  from  the  head  to  the  end  of  the  body.  It  may 
be  called  Acheta  nig-ra,  the  black  cricket. 

A  third  species,  differing  from  these  two  in  being  entirely 
destitute  of  wings,  and  in  having  the  wing-covers  proportion- 
ally much  shorter,  and  the  last  joint  of  the  feelers  {palpi) 
almost  twice  the  length  of  the  preceding  joint,  is  furthermore 
distinguished  from  them  by  its  greatly  inferior  size,  and  its 
different  coloring.  It  measures  from  three  to  above  four  tenths 
of  an  inch  in  length,  and  varies  in  color  from  dusky  brown  to 
rusty  black,  the  wing-covers  and  hindmost  thighs  being  always 
somewhat  lighter.  In  the  brownish  colored  varieties  three  lon- 
gitudinal black  lines  are  distinctly  visible  on  the  top  of  the 
head,  and  a  black  line  on  each  side  of  the  thorax,  w^hich  is 
continued  along  the  sides  of  the  wing-covers  to  their  tips. 
This  black  line  on  the  wdng-covers  is  never  wanting,  even 
in  the  darkest  varieties.  The  hindmost  thighs  have,  on  the 
outside,  three  rows  of  short  oblique  black  lines,  presenting 
somewhat  of  a  twilled  appearance.  This  is  one  of  the  social 
species,  which,  associated  together  in  great  swarms,  and  feeding 
in  common,  frequent  our  meadows  and  road  sides,  and,  so  far 
from  avoiding  the  light  of  day,  seem  to  be  quite  as  fond  of  it 
as  others  are  of  darkness.  It  may  be  called  Acheta  vittata* 
the  striped  cricket. 

These  kinds  of  crickets  live  upon  the  ground,  and  among 
the  grass  and  low  herbage ;  but  there  is  another  kind  w^hich 
inhabits  the  stems  and  branches  of  shrubs  and  trees,  concealing 
itself  during  the  daytime  among  the  leaves,  or  in  the  flowers 
of  these  plants.  Some  Isabella  grape-vines,  which  were  trained 
against  one  side  of  my  house,  were  much  resorted  to  by  these 
delicate  and  noisy  little  crickets.  The  males  begin  to  be  heard 
about  the  middle  of  August,  and  do  not  leave  us  iintil  after 
the  middle  of  September.  Their  shrilling  is  excessively  loud, 
and  is  produced,  like  that  of  other  crickets,  by  the  rubbing  of 

*  It  belongs  to  M.  Serville's  new  genus  Nanobius, 


ORTIIOPTERA.  135 

one  wing-cover  against  the  other;  but  they  generally  raise 
their  wing-covers  much  higher  than  other  crickets  do  while 
they  are  playing.  These  wing-covers,  in  the  males,  are  also 
very  large,  and  as  long  as  the  wings;  they  are  exceedingly 
thin,  and  perfectly  transparent,  and  have  the  horizontal  portion 
divided  into  four  unequal  parts  by  three  oblique  raised  lines, 
two  of  which  are  parallel  and  form  an  angle  with  the  anterior 
line.  The  antennae  and  legs  are  both  very  long  and  slender, 
the  hinder  thighs  being  much  smaller  in  proportion  than  those 
of  other  crickets,  and  the  hindmost  feet  have  four  instead  of 
three  joints.  The  two  bristle-formed  appendages  at  the  end 
of  the  body  are  as  long  as  the  piercer,  and  the  latter  is  only 
about  half  the  length  of  the  body,  while,  in  the  ground-crickets, 
the  piercer  is  usually  as  long  as  the  body  or  longer.  These 
insects  have,  therefore,  been  separated  from  the  other  crickets 
under  the  generical  name  of  (Eccmthiis,  a  word  which  means 
inhabiting  flowers.  They  may  be  called  climbing  crickets, 
from  their  habit  of  mounting  upon  plants  and  dwelling  among 
the  leaves  and  flowers.  According  to  JVI.  Salvi*  the  female 
makes  several  perforations  in  the  tender  stems  of  plants,  and 
in  each  perforation  thrusts  two  eggs  quite  to  the  pith.  The 
eggs  are  hatched  about  midsummer,  and  the  young  immedi- 
ately issue  from  their  nests  and  conceal  themselves  among  the 
thickest  foliage  of  the  plant.  When  arrived  at  maturity  the 
males  begin  their  nocturnal  serenade  at  the  approach  of  twilight, 
and  continue  it,  with  little  or  no  intermission  till  the  dawn  of 
day.  Should  one  of  these  Kttle  musicians  get  admission  to  the 
chamber,  his  incessant  and  loud  shrilling  will  effectually  banish 
sleep.  Of  three  species  which  inhabit  the  United  States,  one 
only  is  found  in  Massachusetts.  It  is  the  (Ecanthus  niveus,  or 
white  climbing  cricket.  The  male  is  ivory-white,  with  the  upper 
side  of  the  first  joint  of  the  antennae,  and  the  head  between 
the  eyes,  of  an  ochre-yellow  color ;  there  is  a  minute  black  dot 
on  the  under  sides  of  the  first  and  second  joints  of  the  antennae ; 
and,  in  some  individuals,  the  extremities  of  the  feet,  and  the 
under  sides  of  the  hindmost  thighs,  are  ochre-yellow.     The 

*  Memorie  intorno  le  Locuste  grillajole.    Svo;    Verona:  1750. 


136  INSECTS  IXJUmOITS  TO  VEGETATION. 

body  is  about  half  an  inch  long,  exclusive  of  the  wing-covers. 
The  female  is  usually  rather  longer,  but  the  wing-covers  are 
much  narrower  than  those  of  the  male,  and  there  is  a  great 
diversity  of  coloring  in  this  sex;  the  body  being  sometimes 
almost  white,  or  pale  greenish  yellow,  or  dusky,  and  blackish 
beneath.  There  are  three  dusky  stripes  on  the  head  and  tho- 
rax, and  the  legs,  antennae,  and  piercer  are  more  or  less  dusky 
or  blackish.  The  wing-covers  and  wings  are  yellowish  white, 
sometimes  with  a  tinge  of  green,  and  the  wings  are  rather 
longer  than  the  covers.  Some  of  these  insects  have  been  sent 
to  me  by  a  gentleman  who  found  them  piercing  and  laying 
eggs  in  the  branches  of  a  peach-tree.  Another  correspondent, 
who  is  interested  in  the  tobacco  culture  in  Connecticut,  in- 
formed me  that  they  injured  the  plant  by  eating  holes  in  the 
leaves. 


2.  Grasshoppers.     [GryllldcB.) 

Grasshoppers,  properly  so  called,  as  before  stated,  are  those 
jumping  orthopterous  insects  which  have  four  joints  to  all  their 
feet,  long  bristle-formed  antennse,  and  in  which  the  females  are 
provided  with  a  piercer,  flattened  at  the  sides,  and  somewhat 
resembling  a  sword  or  cimeter  in  shape.  The  wing-covers 
slope  downwards  at  the  sides  of  the  body,  and  overlap  only  a 
little  on  the  top  of  the  back  near  the  thorax.  This  overlapping 
portion,  which  forms  a  long  triangle,  is  traversed,  in  the  males, 
by  strong  projecting  veins,  between  which,  in  many  of  them, 
are  membranous  spaces  as  transparent  as  glass.  The  sounds 
emitted  by  the  males,  and  varying  according  to  the  species,  are 
produced  by  the  friction  of  these  overlapping  portions  together. 

In  Massachusetts  there  is  one  kind  of  grasshopper,  which 
forms  a  remarkable  exception  to  the  other  native  insects  of 
this  family ;  and,  as  it  does  not  seem  to  have  been  named  or 
described  by  any  author,  although  by  no  means  an  uncommon 
insect,  it  may  receive  a  passing  notice  here.  It  is  found  only 
under  stones  and  rubbish  in  woods,  has  a  short  thick  body, 
and  remarkably  stout  hind  thighs,  like  a  cricket,  but  is  entirely 
destitute  of  wing-covers  and  wings,  even  when  arrived  at  ma- 


ORTHOPTERA.  137 

turity.  It  belongs  to  M.  Serville's  genus  Phalang-opsis,  and  I 
propose  to  call  it  Phalangopsis  macidata*  the  spotted  wingless 
cricket.  Its  body  is  of  a  pale  yellowish  brown  color,  darker 
on  the  back,  which  is  covered  with  little  light  colored  spots, 
and  the  outside  of  the  hindmost  thighs  is  marked  with  numer- 
ous short  oblique  lines,  disposed  in  parallel  rows,  like  those  on 
the  thighs  of  Achcta  vittata.  It  varies  in  length  from  one  half 
to  more  than  three  quarters  of  an  inch,  exclusive  of  the  piercer 
and  legs.  The  body  is  smooth  and  shining,  and  the  back  is 
arched.  s 

Most  grasshoppers  are  of  a  green  color,  and  are  furnished 
with  wings  and  wing-covers,  the  latter  frequently  resembling 
the  leaves  of  trees  and  shrubs,  upon  which,  indeed,  many  of 
these  insects  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  lives.  Their  leaf- 
like form  and  green  color  evidently  seem  to  have  been  designed 
for  their  better  concealment.  They  are  nocturnal  insects,  or  at 
least  more  active  by  night  than  by  day.  When  taken  between 
the  fingers,  they  emit  from  their  mouths  a  considerable  quan- 
tity of  dark-colored  fluid,  as  do  also  the  locusts  or  diurnal 
grasshoppers.  They  devour  the  leaves  of  plants,  and  lead  a 
solitary  life,  or  at  least  do  not  associate  and  migrate  from 
place  to  place  in  great  swarms,  like  some  of  the  crickets  and 
the  locusts.  There  is  a  remarkable  difference  in  their  habits, 
which  does  not  appear  to  have  been  described  hitherto.  Some 
of  these  grasshoppers  live  upon  grass  and  other  herbaceous  or 
low  plants  in  fields  and  meadows.  The  piercer  of  the  females 
is  often  straight,  or  only  slightly  curved.  They  commit  their 
eggs  to  the  earth,  thrusting  them  into  holes  made  therein  with 
the  piercer.  They  lay  a  large  number  of  eggs  at  a  time,  and 
cover  them  with  a  kind  of  varnish,  which,  when  dry,  forms  a 
thin  film  that  completely  encloses  them.  These  eggs  are 
elongated,  and  nearly  of  an  elipsoidal  form.  Other  green 
Grylli  live  upon  trees  and  shrubs.  Their  wing-covers  and 
wings  are  broader,  and  their  piercer  is  shorter  and  often  more 
curved  than  in  the  foregoing  kinds.  They  do  not  lay  their 
eggs  in  the  ground,  but  deposit  them  upon  branches  and  twigs, 

*  Gryllus  macttlatus,  Harris.     Catalogue  of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts, 

18 


138  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

in  regular  row.-^.     My  attention  was  first  directed  to  the  egga 
of  the  tree-grylli  by  Mr.  F.  C.  Hill,  late  of  Philadelphia. 

Some  of  these  grasshoppers  have  the   front  of  the  head 
obtuse,  and  others  have  it  conical,  or  prolonged  to  a  point  be- 
tween the  antennae.     Among  the  former  is  the  insect,  which, 
from  its  peculiar  note,  is  called  the  katy-did.     Its  body  is  of  a 
pale  green  color,  the  wing-covers  and  wings  being  somewhat 
darker.     Its  thorax  is  rough  like  shagreen,  and  has  somewhat 
the  form  of  a  saddle,  being  curved  downwards  on  each  side, 
and  rounded  and  slightly  elevated  behind,  and  is  marked  by 
two  slightly  transverse  furrows.     The  wings  are  rather  shorter 
than  the  wing-covers,  and  the  latter  are  very  large,  oval,  and 
concave,  and  enclose  the  body  within  their  concavity,  meeting 
at  the  edges  above  and  below,  somewhat  like  the  two  sides  or 
valves  of  a  pea-pod.     The  veins  are  large,  very  distinct,  and 
netted  like  those  of  some  leaves,  and  there  is  one  vein  of  larger 
size  running  along  the  middle  of  each  wing-cover,  and  simu- 
lating the  midrib  of  a  leaf.     The  musical  organs  of  the  male 
consist  of  a  pair  of  taborets.     They  are  formed  by  a  thin  and 
transparent  membrane  stretched  in  a  strong  half-oval  frame  in 
the  triangular  overlapping  portion  of  each  wing-cover.     During 
the  daytime  these  insects  are  silent,  and  conceal  themselves 
among  the  leaves  of  trees ;  but  at  night,  they  quit  their  lurking- 
places,  and  the  joyous  males  begin  the  tell-tale  call  with  which 
they  enliven  their  silent  mates.     This  proceeds  from  the  friction 
of  the  taboret  frames  against  each  other  when  the  wing-covers 
are  opened  and  shut,  and  consists  of  two  or  three  distinct 
notes  almost  exactly  resembling  articulated  sounds,  and  corres- 
ponding with  the  number  of  times  that  the  wing-covers  are 
opened  and  shut;  and  the  notes  are  repeated,  at  intervals  of  a 
few  minutes,  for  hours  together.     The  mechanism  of  the  tabo- 
rets, and  the  concavity  of  the  wing-covers,  reverberate   and 
increase  the  sound  to  such  a  degree,  that  it  may  be  heard,  in 
the  stiDness  of  the  night,  at  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 
At  the  approach  of  twilight  the  katy-did  mounts  to  the  upper 
branches  of  the  tree  in  which  he  lives,  and,  as  soon  as  the 
shades  of  evening  prevail,  begins  his  noisy  babble,  while  rival 
notes  issue  from  the  neighboring  trees,  and  the  groves  resound 


ORTHOPTERA.  13& 

with  the  call  of  "katy-did,  she-did,"  the  live-long  night.  Of 
this  insect  I  have  met  with  no  scientific  description  except  my 
own,  which  was  published  in  1831  in  the  eighth  volume  of  the 
"  Encyclopsedia  Americana,"  page  42.  It  is  the  Platyphyllum  * 
concavum,^  and  measures,  from  the  head  to  the  end  of  the  wing- 
covers,  rather  more  than  one  inch  and  a  half,  the  body  alone 
being  one  inch  in  length.  The  piercer  is  broad,  laterally  com- 
pressed, and  curved  like  a  cimeter;  and  there  are,  in  both  sexes, 
two  little  thorn-like  projections  from  the  middle  of  the  breast 
between  the  fore  legs.  The  katy-did  is  found  in  the  perfect 
state  during  the  months  of  September  and  October,  at  which 
time  the  female  lays  her  eggs.  These  are  slate-colored,  and 
are  rather  more  than  one  eighth  of  an  inch  in  length.  They 
resemble  tiny  oval  bivalve  shells  in  shape.  The  insect  lays 
them  in  two  contiguous  rows  along  the  surface  of  a  twig,  the 
bark  of  which  is  previously  shaved  off  or  made  rough  with 
her  piercer.  Each  row  consists  of  eight  or  nine  eggs,  placed 
somewhat  obliquely,  and  overlapping  each  other  a  little,  and 
they  are  fastened  to  the  twig  with  a  gummy  substance.  In 
hatching,  the  egg  splits  open  at  one  end,  and  the  young  insect 
creeps  through  the  cleft.  I  am  indebted  to  Miss  Morris  for 
specimens  of  these  eggs. 

We  have  another  broad-winged  green  grasshopper,  differing 
from  the  katy-did,  in  having  the  wing-covers  narrower,  flat  and 
not  concave,  and  shorter  than  the  wings,  the  thorax  smooth, 
flat  above,  and  abruptly  bent  downwards  at  a  right  angle  on 
each  side,  and  the  breast  without  any  projecting  spines  in  the 
middle.  The  piercer  has  the  same  form  as  that  of  the  katy- 
did. The  musical  organ  of  the  left  wing-cover,  which  is  the 
uppermost,  is  not  transparent,  but  is  green  and  opake,  and  is 
traversed  by  a  strong  curved  vein ;  that  of  the  right  wing-cover 
is  semi-transparent  in  the  middle.  This  insect  is  the  Phyllo- 
ptera   ohlongifolia,\  or  oblong  leaf-winged  grasshopper.     Its 


*  Pkityphyllum  means  broad-wing, 
t  Can  this  be  the  Locusta  perspicillata  of  Fabricius  ? 

X  Locusta  ohhngifoUa  of  De  Geer,  a  different  species  from  the  laurifolia  of 
Linnaous,  with  which  it  has  been  confounded  by  many  naturalists. 


140  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  "V^EGETATION. 

body  measm-es  about  an  inch  in  length,  and  from  the  head  to 
the  tips  of  the  wings,  from  an  inch  and  three  quarters  to  three 
inches.  It  is  found  in  its  perfect  state,  during  the  months  of 
September  and  October,  upon  trees,  and,  when  it  flies,  makes 
a  wliizzing  noise  somewhat  like  that  of  a  weaver's  shuttle. 
The  notes  of  the  male,  though  grating,  are  comparatively 
feeble.  The  females  lay  their  eggs  in  the  autumn  on  the  twigs 
of  trees  and  shrubs,  in  double  rows,  of  seven  or  eight  eggs  in 
each  row.  These  eggs,  in  form,  size,  and  color,  and  in  their 
arrangement  on  the  twig,  strikingly  resemble  those  of  the  katy- 
did. The  Rev.  Thomas  Hill,  of  Waltham,  had  the  kindness 
to  procure  some  of  them  for  me  from  Philadelphia. 

A  third  species,  also  of  a  green  color,  with  still  narrower 
wing-covers,  which  are  of  almost  equal  width  from  one  end  to 
the  other,  but  are  rounded  at  the  tips,  and  are  shorter  than  the 
wings,  has  the  head,  thorax,  musical  organs,  and  breast,  like 
those  of  the  preceding  species,  but  the  piercer  is  much  shorter, 
and  very  much  more  crooked,  being  bent  vertically  upwards 
from  near  its  base.  The  male  has  a  long  tapering  projection 
from  the  under  side  of  the  extremity  of  the  body,  curved  up- 
wards like  the  piercer  of  the  female.  This  grasshopper  belongs 
to  the  genus  Phaneroptera,  so  named,  probably,  because  the 
wings  are  visible  beyond  the  tips  of  the  wing-covers;  and,  as 
it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  described  before,  I  propose  to 
call  it  ang-uslifolia*  the  narrow-leaved.  It  measures  from  the 
forehead  to  the  end  of  the  abdomen  about  three  quarters  of  an 
inch,  and  to  the  tips  of  the  wings  from  an  inch  and  a  half  to 
an  inch  and  three  quarters.  Its  habits  appear  to  be  the  same 
as  those  of  the  oblongifolia.  It  comes  to  maturity  sometime 
in  the  latter  part  of  August  or  the  beginning  of  September. 

From  the  middle  till  the  end  of  summer,  the  grass  in  our 
meadows  and  moist  fields  is  filled  with  myriads  of  little  grass- 
hoppers, of  different  ages,  and  of  a  light  green  color,  with  a 


*  I  formerly  mistook  this  insect  for  the  Locusta  curvicaitda  of  De  Geer,  -whicli 
is  found  in  the  Middle  and  Southern  States,  but  not  in  Massachusetts,  is  a  larger 
species,  with  wing-covers  broadest  in  the  middle,  and  different  organs  in  the 
male,  and  belongs  to  the  genus  Phylloptera. 


ORTHOPTERA.  141 

brown  stripe  on  the  top  of  the  head,  extending  to  the  tip  of 
the  little  smooth  and  blunt  projection  between  the  antennae, 
and  a  broader  brown  stripe  bounded  on  each  side  by  deeper 
brown  on  the  top  of  the  thorax.  The  antennae,  knees,  and 
shanks  are  green,  faintly  tinted  with  brown,  and  the  feet  are 
dusky.  When  come  to  maturity,  they  measure  three  quarters 
of  an  inch  or  more,  from  the  forehead  to  the  end  of  the  body, 
or  one  inch  to  the  ends  of  the  wing-covers.  The  latter  are 
abruptly  narrowed  in  the  middle,  and  taper  thence  to  the  tip, 
which,  however,  is  rounded  and  extends  as  far  back  as  the 
wings.  The  color  of  the  wing-covers  is  green,  but  they  are 
faintly  tinged  with  brown  on  the  overlapping  portion,  and  have 
the  delicacy  and  semi-transparency  of  the  skin  of  an  onion. 
The  shrilling  organs  in  the  males  consist  of  a  transparent 
glassy  spot,  bounded  and  traversed  by  strong  veins,  in  the 
middle  of  the  overlapping  portion  of  each  wing-cover,  which 
part  is  proportionally  much  larger  and  longer  than  in  the  other 
grasshoppers ;  but  the  transparent  spot  is  rather  smaller  on  the 
left  than  on  the  right  wing-cover.  The  male  is  furthermore 
distinguished  by  having  two  small  black  spots  or  short  dashes, 
one  behind  the  other,  on  each  wing-cover,  on  the  outside  of  the 
transparent  spot.  The  wings  are  green  on  their  front  margins, 
transparent,  and  reflecting  a  faint  pink  color  behind.  The 
piercer  of  the  female  is  cimeter-shaped,  being  curved,  and 
pointed  at  the  end,  and  is  about  three  tenths  of  an  inch  long. 
The  hindmost  thighs,  in  both  sexes,  are  smooth  and  not  spinous 
beneath ;  there  are  two  little  spines  in  the  middle  of  the  breast ; 
and  the  antennae  are  very  long  and  slender,  and  extend,  when 
turned  back,  considerably  beyond  the  end  of  the  hind  legs. 
During  the  evening,  and  even  at  other  times  in  shady  places, 
the  males  make  a  sharp  clicking  noise,  somewhat  like  that 
produced  by  snapping  the  point  of  a  pen  against  the  thumb- 
nail, but  much  louder.  This  kind  of  grasshopper  very  much 
resembles  the  Locusta  agilis  of  De  Geer,  which  is  found  in 
Pennsylvania  and  the  Southern  States,  but  does  not  inhabit 
Massachusetts,  and  is  distinguished  from  our  species  by  having 
the  wings  nearly  one  tenth  of  an  inch  longer  than  the  wing- 
covers,  the  antennas  excessively  long  (two  inches  or  more),  and 


142  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  piercer  not  quite  so  much  cur\'ed  as  in  our  species,  besides 
other  differences  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  record  here.  As 
pur  species  docs  not  appear  to  have  been  named,  or  described 
by  any  previous  writer,  I  propose  to  call  it  Orchelimum  vidgare, 
the  common  meadow-grasshopper,  the  generical  name  signify- 
ing literally,  I  dance  in  the  meadow. 

With  this  species  another  one  is  also  found,  bearing  a  con- 
siderable resemblance  to  it  in  color  and  form,  but  measuring 
only  four  or  five  tenths  of  an  inch  from  the  head  to  the  end  of 
the  body,  or  from  seven  to  eight  tenths  to  the  tips  of  the  wings, 
which  are  a  little  longer  than  the  wing-covers.  The  latter  are 
narrow  and  taper  to  the  end,  which  is  rounded,  but  the  over- 
lapping portion  is  not  so  large  as  in  the  common  species,  and 
the  male  has  not  the  two  black  spots  on  each  wing-cover. 
The  upper  part  of  the  abdomen  is  brown,  with  the  edges  of 
the  segments  greenish  yellow,  and  the  piercer,  which  is  nearly 
three  tenths  of  an  inch  long,  is  brown  and  nearly  straight. 
This  little  insect  comes  very  near  to  Locusta  fasciata  of  De 
Geer,  who,  however,  makes  no  mention  of  the  broad  brown 
stripe  on  the  head  and  thorax.  I  therefore  presume  that  our 
species  is  not  the  same,  and  propose  to  call  it  Orchelimum 
gracile,  the  slender  meadow-grasshopper.  M.  Serville,  by 
whom  this  genus  was  instituted,  has  described  three  species, 
two  of  which  are  stated  to  be  North  American,  and  the  re- 
maining one  is  probably  also  from  this  country;  but  his 
descriptions  do  not  answer  for  either  of  our  species.  Both  of 
these  kinds  of  meadow-grasshoppers  are  eaten  greedily  by 
fowls  of  all  kinds. 

One  more  grasshopper  remains  to  be  described.  It  is  dis- 
tinguished from  all  the  preceding  species  by  having  the  head 
conical,  and  extending  to  a  blunt  point  between  the  eyes.  It 
belongs  to  the  genus  Conocephahis,  a  word  expressive  of  the 
conical  form  of  the  head,  and,  in  my  Catalogue  of  the  Insects 
of  Massachusetts,  bears  the  specific  name  of  ensiger,  the  sword- 
bearer,  from  the  long,  straight,  sword-shaped  piercer  of  the 
female.  It  measures  an  inch  or  more  from  the  'point  of  the 
head  to  the  end  of  the  body,  and  from  one  inch  and  three 
quarters  to  two  inches,  to  the  end  of  the  wung-covers.     It  is 


OETHOPTERA.  143 

pale  green,  with  the  head  whitish,  or  only  faintly  tinted  with 
green,  and  the  legs  and  abdomen  are  pale  brownish  green.  A 
little  tooth  projects  downwards  from  the  under  side  of  the 
conical  part  of  the  head,  which  extends  between  the  antennae, 
and  immediately  before  this  little  tooth  is  a  black  line  bent 
backwards  on  each  side  like  the  letter  U.  The  hindmost 
thighs  have  five  or  six  exceedingly  minute  spines  on  the  inner 
ridge  of  the  under  side.  The  shrilling  organ  of  the  male,  on 
the  left  wing-cover,  is  green  and  opake,  but  that  on  the  right 
has  a  space  in  the  middle  that  is  transparent  like  glass.  The 
piercer  of  the  female  is  above  an  inch  long,  very  slightly  bent 
near  the  body,  and  perfectly  straight  from  thence  to  the  tip, 
which  ends  in  a  point.  The  color  of  this  grasshopper  is  very 
apt  to  change,  after  death,  to  a  dirty  brown.  It  comes  very 
near  to  the  dissimilis  described  by  M.  Serville,  but  appears  to 
be  a  different  species. 

3.  Locusts.     (Locustadce.) 

The  various  insects  included  under  the  name  of  locusts 
nearly  all  agree  in  having  their  \ving-covers  father  long  and 
narrow,  and  placed  obliquely  along  the  sides  of  the  body, 
meeting,  and  even  overlapping  for  a  short  distance,  at  their 
upper  edges,  which  together  form  a  ridge  on  the  back  like  a 
sloping  roof.  Theu'  antennae  are  much  shorter  than  those  of 
most  grasshoppers,  and  do  not  taper  towards  the  end,  but  are 
nearly  of  equal  thickness  at  both  extremities.  Their  feet  have 
really  only  three  joints;  but  as  the  under  side  of  the  first  joint 
is  marked  by  one  or  two  cross  lines,  the  feet,  when  seen  only 
from  below,  seem  to  be  four  or  five  jointed.  The  females  have 
not  a  long  projecting  piercer  like  the  crickets  and  grasshoppers, 
but  the  extremity  of  their  body  is  provided  with  four  short, 
wedge-like  pieces,  placed  in  pairs  above  and  below,  and  open- 
ing and  shutting  opposite  to  each  other,  thus  forming  an 
instrument  like  a  pair  of  nippers,  only  with  four  short  blades 
instead  of  two.  When  one  of  these  insects  is  about  to  lay 
her  eggs,  she  drives  these  little  wedges  into  the  earth;  these, 
being  then  opened  and  withdrawn,  enlarge  the  orifice;  upon 


144  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

which  the  insect  inserts  them  again,  and  drives  them  down 
deeper  than  before,  and  repeats  the  operation  above  described 
until  she  has  formed  a  perforation  large  and  deep  enough  to 
admit  nearly  the  whole  of  her  abdomen.  The  males,  though 
capable  of  producing  sounds,  have  not  the  cymbals  and  tabors 
of  the  crickets  and  grasshoppers ;  their  instruments  may  rather 
be  likened  to  violins,  their  hind  legs  being  the  bows,  and  the 
projecting  veins  of  their  wing-covers  the  strings.  But  besides 
these,  they  have  on  each  side  of  the  body,  in  the  first  segment 
of  the  abdomen,  just  above  and  a  little  behind  the  thighs,  a 
deep  cavity  closed  by  a  thin  piece  of  skin  stretched  tightly 
across  it.  These  probably  act  in  some  measure  to  increase 
the  reverberation  of  the  sound,  like  the  cavity  of  a  violin. 
When  a  locust  begins  to  play,  he  bends  the  shank  of  one  hind 
leg  beneath  the  thigh,  where  it  is  lodged  in  a  furrow  designed 
to  receive  it,  and  then  draws  the  leg  briskly  up  and  down 
several  times  against  the  projecting  lateral  edge  and  veins  of 
the  wing-cover.  He  does  not  play  both  fiddles  together,  but 
alternately,  for  a  little  time,  first  upon  one,  and  then  on  the 
other,  standing  meanwhile  upon  the  fovir  anterior  legs  and  the 
hind  leg  which  is  not  otherwise  employed.  It  is  stated  that, 
in  Spain,  people  of  fashion  keep  these  insects,  which  they  call 
grillo,  in  cages,  for  the  sake  of  their  music.  Locusts  leap 
much  better  than  grasshoppers,  for  the  thighs  of  their  hind 
legs,  though  shorter,  are  much  thicker,  and  consequently  more 
muscular  within.  The  back  part  of  the  shanks  of  these  legs, 
from  a  little  below  the  knee  to  the  end,  is  armed  with  strong 
sharp  spines,  arranged  in  two  rows.  These  may  serve  as 
means  of  defence,  but  the  lower  ones  also  help  to  fix  the  legs 
firmly  against  the  ground  when  the  insect  is  going  to  leap. 
The  power  of  flight  in  locusts  is,  in  general,  much  greater 
than  that  of  grasshoppers ;  for  the  wing-covers,  being  narrow, 
do  not,  like  the  much  wider  ones  of  grasshoppers,  so  much 
impede  their  passage  through  the  air;  while  their  wings,  which 
are  ample,  except  in  a  few  species,  and  when  expanded  together 
form  half  of  a  circle,  have  very  strong  joints,  and  are  moved 
by  very  powerful  muscles  within  the  chest.  From  the  shoul- 
ders of  the  wings  several  stout  ribs  or  veins  pass  towards  the 


ORTHOPTERA.  145 

hinder  margin,  spreading  apart,  when  the  wings  are  opened, 
like  the  sticks  of  a  fan,  and  are  connected  and  strengthened  by 
little  crossing  veins,  which  form  a  kind  of  netw'ork.  The  same 
structure  exists  in  the  wings  of  grasshoppers,  but  in  them  the 
longitudinal  ribs  are  not  so  strong,  and  the  network  is  much 
more  delicate.  Hence  the  flight  of  grasshoppers  is  short  and 
unsteady,  while  that  of  locusts  is  longer  and  better  sustained. 
Many  locusts,  when  they  fly,  make  a  loud  whizzing  noise,  the 
source  of  which  does  not  seem  to  be  understood.  Those  of 
our  native  locusts,  w^hose  flight  is  the  most  noisy,  are  the  coral- 
winged,  the  yellow-winged,  and  the  broad-winged  species.  But 
as  these  are  comparatively  small  insects,  and  never  assemble  in 
such  great  swarms  as  the  much  larger  migrating  locusts  of 
Asia  and  Africa,  the  noise  of  their  flight  bears  no  comparison 
to  that  of  the  latter.  When  a  large  number  of  these  take  flight 
together,  it  is  said  that  the  noise  is  like  the  rushing  of  a  whirl- 
wind ;  and  hence  we  read,  of  the  symbolical  locusts  of  the 
Apocalypse,  that  the  sound  of  their  wings  was  as  the  §ound 
of  chariots  of  horses  running  to  battle;*  and,  of  others,  that 
their  coming  is  like  the  noise  of  chariots  on  the  tops  of  moun- 
tains, or  the  crackling  of  stubble  when  overrun,  and  consumed 
by  a  flame  of  fire.f 

The  East  seems  to  have  suffered  severely  at  various  times 
from  the  irruptions  of  immense  swarms  of  locusts,  darkening 
the  sky  during  their  passage,  stripping  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
where  they  alight,  of  all  vestiges  of  vegetation,  and  thus  re- 
ducing, in  an  inconceivably  short  time,  the  most  fertile  regions 
to  barren  wastes.  The  ground  over  which  they  have  passed 
presents  the  appearance  of  having  been  scorched  by  fire,  and 
hence  the  name  of  locust,  which  is  derived  from  the  Latin,J 
and  means  a  burnt  place,  is  highly  expressive  of  the  desolation 
occasioned  by  their  ravages.  Famine  and  pestilence  have 
sometimes  followed  their  appearance,  as  we  find  recorded  by 
various  writers.     In  the  Scriptures  §  frequent  mention  is  made 


*  Revelations  IX.  11.  f  Joel  II.  5.  j  Lo(nis  and  jtsUts. 

§  For  an  explanation  of  the  various  passages  in  ■which  allusion  is  made  to 
locusts,  and  for  much  interesting  matter,  relating  to  the  history  of  these  insects 

19 


146  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  the  destructive  powers  of  locusts,  and  these  accounts  are 
fully  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  numerous  travellers  in 
Asia  and  Africa,  some  of  whom  have  been  eye-witnesses  of 
the  devastations  of  these  insects.  Among  the  later  accounts, 
that  contained  in  Olivier's  "Travels"  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  quoted  by  English  writers.  The  following  is  a  free  trans- 
lation of  the  passage.  Olivier,  at  the  time  of  writing  it,  was 
in  Syria.  "  After  a  burning  south  wind  had  prevailed  for  some 
time,  there  came,  from  the  interior  of  Arabia  and  from  the 
southern  parts  of  Persia,  clouds  of  locusts,  whose  ravages  in 
these  countries  are  as  grievous  and  as  sudden  as  the  destruction 
occasioned  in  Europe  by  the  most  severe  hail-storm.  Of  these 
my  companion,  M.  Brugieres,  and  myself  were  twice  witnesses. 
It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  effect  produced  on  us  by  the  sight 
of  the  whole  atmosphere  filled,  on  all  sides,  to  a  vast  height, 
with  a  countless  multitude  of  these  insects,  which  flew  along 
with  a  slow  and  even  motion,  and  with  a  noise  like  the  dashing 
of  a  'shower  of  rain.  The  heavens  were  darkened  by  them, 
and  the  light  of  the  sun  was  sensibly  diminished.  In  a  moment 
the  roofs  of  the  houses,  the  streets,  and  all  the  fields  were  com- 
pletely covered  with  these  insects,  and  in  two  days  they  almost 
entirely  devoured  the  foliage  of  every  plant.  Fortunately, 
however,  they  continued  but  a  short  time,  and  seemed  to  have 
emigrated  only  for  the  purpose  of  providing  for  a  continuation 
of  their  kind.  In  fact,  nearly  all  of  them  which  we  saw  on 
the  next  day  were  paired,  and  in  a  day  or  two  afterwards  the 
ground  was  covered  with  their  dead  bodies."*  These  were 
not  the  still  more  celebrated  and  destructive  migratory  locusts 
{Locusta  mig-ratoria),  but  consisted  of  the  species  caUed  Acry- 
dium  peregrinum. 

Although  the  ravages  of  locusts  in  America  are  not  followed 
by  such  serious  consequences  as  in  the  Eastern  continent,  yet 

as  contained  in  the  Bible  and  elucidated  by  the  accounts  of  historians  and 
travellers,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  article  locust  in  the  learned  and  instructive 
work  of  my  father,  entitled  "The  Natural  History  of  the  Bible,  by  Thaddeus 
Mason  Harris."     8vo.     Boston :  1820. 

*  Olivier,  Voyage  dans  I'Empire  Ottoman,  I'Egypte  et  la  Perse.     Tom.  II.  p. 
424. 


ORTHOPTERA.  147 

they  are  sufficiently  formidable  to  have  attracted  attention, 
and  not  unfrequently  have  these  insects  laid  waste  considerable 
tracts,  and  occasioned  no  little  loss  to  the  cultivator  of  the  soil. 
Our  salt-marshes,  which  are  accounted  among  the  most  pro- 
ductive and  valuable  of  our  natural  meadows,  are  frequented 
by  great  numbers  of  the  small  red-legged  species  [Acrydium 
femur-rubrum),  intermingled  occasionally  with  some  larger 
kinds.  These,  in  certain  seasons,  almost  entirely  consume  the 
grass  of  these  marshes,  from  whence  they  then  take  their  course 
to  the  uplands,  devouring,  in  their  way,  grass,  corn,  and  vege- 
tables, till  checked  by  the  early  frosts,  or  by  the  close  of  the 
natural  term  of  their  existence.  When  a  scanty  crop  of  hay 
has  been  gathered  from  the  grounds  which  these  puny  pests 
have  ravaged,  it  becomes  so  tainted  with  the  putrescent  bodies 
of  the  dead  locusts  contained  in  it,  that  it  is  rejected  by  horses 
and  cattle.  In  this  country  locusts  are  not  distinguished  from 
grasshoppers,  and  are  generally,  though  incorrectly,  compre- 
hended under  the  same  name,  or  under  that  of  flying  grass- 
hoppers. They  are,  however,  if  we  make  allowance  for  their 
inferior  size,  quite  as  voracious  and  injurious  to  vegetation 
during  the  young  or  larva  and  pupa  states,  when  they  are  not 
provided  with  wings,  as  they  are  when  fully  grown.  In  our 
newspapers  I  have  sometimes  seen  accounts  of  the  devastations 
of  grasshoppers,  which  could  only  be  applicable  to  some  of  our 
locusts.  At  various  times  they  have  appeared  in  great  abund- 
ance in  different  parts  of  New  England.  It  is  stated  that, 
in  Maine,  "during  dry  seasons,  they  often  appear  in  great 
multitudes,  and  are  the  greedy  destroyers  of  the  half-parched 
herbage."  "  In  1749  and  1754  they  were  very  numerous  and 
voracious;  no  vegetables  escaped  these  greedy  troops;  they 
even  devoured  the  potato  tops;  and  in  1743  and  1756  they 
covered  the  whole  country  and  threatened  to  devour  every 
thing  green.  Indeed,  so  great  was  the  alarm  they  occasioned 
among  the  people,  that  days  of  fasting  and  prayer  were 
appointed,"*  on   account  of  the  threatened  calamity.      The 


*  See  Williamson's  History  of  Maine,  Vol.  I.  pp.  102,  103,  and  compare  with. 
p.  172  of  the  same  work. 


148  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

southern  and  western  parts  of  New  Hampshire,  the  northern 
and  eastern  parts  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  southern  part  of 
Vermont  have  been  overrun  by  swarms  of  these  miscalled 
grasshoppers,  and  have  suffered  more  or  less  from  their  depre- 
dations. Among  the  various  accounts  which  I  have  seen,  the 
following,  extracted  from  the  Travels  of  the  late  President 
Dwight,*  seems  to  be  the  most  full  and  circumstantial.  "  Ben- 
nington (Vermont),  and  its  neighborhood,  have  for  some  time 
past  been  infested  by  grasshoppers  (locusts)  of  a  kind  with 
which  I  had  before  been  wholly  unacquainted.  At  least,  their 
history,  as  given  by  respectable  persons,  is  in  a  great  measure 
novel.  They  appear  at  different  periods,  in  different  years ;  but 
the  time  of  their  continuance  seems  to  be  the  same.  This 
year  (1798)  they  came  four  weeks  earlier  than  in  1797,  and 
disappeared  four  weeks  sooner.  As  I  had  no  opportunity  of 
examining  them,  I  cannot  describe  their  form  or  their  size. 
Their  favorite  food  is  clover  and  maize.  Of  the  latter  they 
devour  the  part  which  is  called  the  silk ;  the  immediate  means 
of  fecundating  the  ear;  and  thus  prevent  the  kernel  from 
coming  to  perfection.  But  their  voracity  extends  to  almost 
every  vegetable ;  even  to  the  tobacco  plant  and  the  burdock. 
Nor  are  they  confined  to  vegetables  alone.  The  garments  of 
laborers,  hung  up  in  the  field  while  they  are  at  work,  these 
insects  destroy  in  a  few  hours ;  and  with  the  same  voracity 
they  devour  the  loose  particles  which  the  saw  leaves  upon  the 
surface  of  pine  boards,  and  which,  when  separated,  are  termed 
sawdust.  The  appearance  of  a  board  fence,  from  which  the 
particles  had  been  eaten  in  this  manner,  and  which  I  saw,  was 
novel  and  singular;  and  seemed  the  result,  not  of  the  opera- 
tions of  the  plane,  but  of  attrition.  At  times,  particularly  a 
little  before  their  disappearance,  they  collect  in  clouds,  rise  high 
in  the  atmosphere,  and  take  extensive  flights,  of  which  neither 
the  cause  nor  the  direction  has  hitherto  been  discovered.  I 
was  authentically  informed  that  some  persons,  employed  in 
raising  the  steeple  of  the  church  in  William stown,  were,  while 

*  Travels  in  New  England  and  Ncav  York,  by  Timothy  Dwiglit.     Yol.  II. 
p.  403. 


ORTHOPTERA.  149 

standing  near  the  vane,  covered  by  them,  and  saw,  at  the  same 
time,  vast  swarms  of  them  flying  far  above  their  heads.  It  is  to 
be  observed,  however,  that  they  customarily  return,  and  perish 
on  the  very  grounds  which  they  have  ravaged."  Through  the 
kindness  of  the  Rev.  L.  W.  Leonard,  of  Dublin,  New  Hamp- 
shire, I  have  been  favored  with  specimens  of  the  destructive 
locusts  which  occasionally  appear  in  that  part  of  New  England, 
and  which,  most  probably,  are  of  the  same  species  as  the  in- 
sects mentioned  by  President  D wight.  They  prove  to  be  the 
little  red-legged  locusts,  whose  ravages  on  our  salt-marshes  I 
have  already  recorded.  In  the  summer  of  1838,  the  vicinity 
of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  was  infested  by  insects  of  this  kind; 
and  I  was  informed  by  a  young  gentleman,  from  that  place, 
then  a  student  in  Harvard  CoUege,  that  they  were  so  thick 
and  destructive  in  the  garden  and  grounds  of  his  father,  that 
the  negroes  were  employed  to  drive  them  from  the  garden  with 
rods ;  and  in  this  way  they  were  repeatedly  whipped  out  of 
the  grounds,  leaping  and  flying  before  the  extended  line  of 
castigators  like  a  flock  of  fowls.  Some  of  these  insects  were 
brought  to  me  by  the  same  gentleman,  on  his  return  to  the 
University,  at  the  end  of  the  summer  vacation,  and  they  turned 
out  to  be  specimens  of  the  red-legged  locusts  already  men- 
tioned. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  these  are  the  only  depredatory 
locusts  in  this  country.  Massachusetts,  alone,  produces  a 
large  number  of  species,  some  of  which  have  never  been  de- 
scribed ;  and  the  habits  of  many  of  them  have  not  been  fully 
investigated.  The  difficulty  which  I  have  met  with  in  ascer- 
taining, from  mere  verbal  reports,  or  from  the  accounts  that 
occasionally  appear  in  our  public  prints,  the  scientific  names 
of  the  noxious  insects  which  are  the  subjects  of  such  remarks, 
and  the  impossibility,  without  this  knowledge  of  their  names, 
of  fixing  upon  the  true  culprits,  has  induced  me  to  draw  up, 
in  this  treatise,  brief  descriptions  of  all  our  locusts,  as  a  guide 
to  other  persons  in  their  investigations. 

AU  the  locusts  of  Massachusetts,  that  are  known  to  me, 
may  be  included  in  three  large  groups  or  genera,  viz. :  Aery- 
dium  (of  Geoflroy  and  Latreille),  Locusta  ( G-ryllus  Locusta  of 


150  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Linnajus),  and  Tetrix  (of  Latreille).     These  three  genera  may 
be  distinguished  from  each  other  by  the  following  characters. 

1.  Acrydium.  The  thorax  [prothorax  of  Kirby)  and  the 
wing-covers  of  ordinary  dimensions;  a  projecting  spine  in  the 
middle  of  the  breast;  and  a  little  projecting  cushion  between 
the  nails  of  all  the  feet. 

2.  Locusta.  The  thorax,  and  usually  the  wing-covers  also, 
of  ordinary  dimensions;  no  projecting  spine  in  the  middle  of 
the  breast;  cushions  between  the  nails  of  the  feet. 

3.  Tetrix.  The  thorax  [prothorax)  greatly  prolonged,  ta- 
pering to  a  point  behind,  and  covering  the  whole  of  the  back 
to  the  extremity  of  the  abdomen;  wing-covers  exceedingly 
minute,  consisting  only  of  a  little  scale  on  each  side  of  the 
body;  fore  part  of  the  breast  forming  a  projection,  like  a  cravat 
or  stock,  to  receive  the  lower  part  of  the  head;  no  spine  in  the 
middle  of  the  breast;  no  cushions  between  the  nails. 

I.    ACRYDIUM.     Spine-breasted  Locusts. 

This  word,  which  is  nearly  the  same  as  one  of  the  Greek 
names  of  a  locust,  has  been  variously  applied  by  different 
entomologists.  I  have  followed  Latreille  and  Serville  in  con- 
fining it  to  those  locusts  which  have  a  projecting  spine  or 
tubercle  in  the  middle  of  the  fore  part  of  the  breast  between 
the  fore  legs.  To  this  genus  belong  the  following  native 
species. 

1.  Acrydium  alutaceum.     Leather-colored  locust. 

Dirty  brownish  yellow;  a  paler  yellow  stripe  on  the  top  of 
the  head  and  thorax;  a  slightly  elevated  longitudinal  line  on 
the  top  of  the  thorax;  wing-covers  semitransparent,  with 
irregular  brownish  spots ;  wings  transparent,  uncolored,  netted 
with  dirty  yellow ;  abdomen  with  transverse  rows  of  minute 
blackish  dots;  hindmost  thighs  whitish  within  and  without, 
the  white  portion  bounded  by  a  row  of  minute  distant  black 
dots,  and  crossed,  herring-bone  fashion,  by  numerous  brown 
lines;  hindmost  shanks  reddish,  with  yellowish  white  spines, 
which  are  tipped  with  black.  Length,  to  the  end  of  the  abdo- 
men, If  inch ;  the  wing-covers  expand  over  3  inches. 


ORTHOPTEEA.  151 

This  insect  was  brought  to  me,  from  Martha's  Vineyard,  by- 
Mr.  Robert  Treat  Paine.  It  bears  a  close  resemblance  in  form 
to  Acrydium  Americanum  of  De  Geer,  a  much  larger  and  more 
showy  Southern  species. 

2.  Acrydium  Jiavo-vitlatum*     Yellow- striped  locust. 

Dull  green  or  olive-colored,  with  a  yellowish  line  on  each 
side  from  the  forehead  to  the  tips  of  the  wing-covers;  hind- 
most shanks  and  feet  blood-red,  the  spines  tipped  with  black; 
wings  transparent,  faintly  tinged  with  pale  green,  and  netted 
with  greenish  brown  lines.  The  abdomen  of  the  male  is  very 
obtuse  and  curves  upwards  at  the  end,  and  is  furnished,  on 
each  side  of  the  tip,  with  a  rather  large  oblong  square  append- 
age, which  has  a  little  projecting  angle  in  the  middle  of  the 
lower  side.  Length,  to  tip  of  the  abdomen,  from  1  inch  to  1^; 
expands  from  1|  inch  to  2  inches. 

This  and  the  following  species  probably  belong  to  the  sub- 
genus Oxya  of  Serville.  The  yellow-striped  locust  is  one  of 
our  most  common  insects.  It  is  readily  known  by  its  color, 
and  by  the  two  yellowish  lines  on  the  thorax,  extending,  when 
the  insect  acquires  wings,  along  the  inner  margin  of  the  wing- 
covers.  It  is  very  troublesome  in  gardens,  climbing  upon  the 
stems  of  beans,  peas,  and  flowers,  devouring  the  leaves  and 
petals,  and  defiling  them  with  its  excrement.  The  young 
begin  to  appear  in  June,  and  they  come  to  their  growth  and 
acquire  their  wings  by  the  first  of  August.  When  about  to 
moult,  like  other  locusts,  they  cling  to  the  stem  of  some  plant, 
till  the  skin  bursts  and  the  insect  withdraws  its  body  and  legs 
from  it,  and  leaves  the  cast-skin  still  fastened  to  the  plant. 

3.  Acrydium  femur-rubrum.     Red-legged  locust. 

Grizzled  with  dirty  olive  and  brown ;  a  black  spot  extending 
from  the  eyes  along  the  sides  of  the  thorax ;  an  oblique  yellow 

*  This  species  agrees,  in  some  respects,  with  Serville's  Acrydium  olivnceu?)i,  but 
it  is  a  smaller  insect,  the  hind  shanks  are  not  blue,  and  the  last  ventral  segment 
of  the  male  is  not  deeply  notched  at  tip,  but  is  entire  and  somewhat  pointed.  It 
does  not  agree  any  better  with  Say's  description  of  Gryllus  bivittatits,  which 
possibly  is  the  same  as  Serville's  species  above  named. 


152  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

line  on  each  side  of  the  body  beneath  the  wings ;  a  row  of 
dusky  brown  spots  along  the  middle  of  the  wing-covers ;  and 
the  hindmost  shanks  and  feet  blood-red,  with  black  spines. 
The  wings  are  transparent,  with  a  very  pale  greenish  yellow 
tint  next  to  the  body,  and  are  netted  with  brown  lines.  The 
hindmost  thighs  have  two  large  spots,  on  the  upper  side,  and 
the  extremity,  black;  but  are  red  below,  and  yellow  on  the 
inside.  The  appendages  at  the  tip  of  the  body  in  the  male 
are  of  a  long  triangular  form.  Length  from  |  inch  to  1  inch ; 
exp.  1^  to  1|  inch. 

The  red-legged  locust  was  first  described  by  De  Geer  from 
specimens  sent  to  him  from  Pennsylvania,  and  I  have  retained 
the  scientific  name  which  he  gave  to  it.  It  is  the  GryUus 
(Locusta)  cri/thropKS  of  Gmelin,  and  the  Aery dium  femoral e  of 
Olivier.  It  appears  to  be  very  generally  diffused  throughout 
the  United  States,  and  sometimes  so  greatly  abounds,  in  cer- 
tain places,  as  to  be  productive  of  great  injury  to  vegetation. 
I  have  already  described  its  prevalence  on  our  salt-marshes; 
and  it  seems  to  constitute  those  large  migrating  swarms  whose 
flight  has  been  observed  and  recorded  in  various  parts  of  this 
country.  It  comes  to  maturity  with  us  by  the  latter  part  of 
July ;  some  broods,  however,  a  little  earlier,  and  others  later. 
It  is  most  plentiful  and  destructive  during  the  months  of 
August  and  September,  and  does  not  disappear  till  some 
time  in  October. 

n.  LOCUST  A.     Locusts  proper. 

"With  the  English  entomologists,  I  apply  the  name  Locusta 
to  that  genus  which  includes  the  celebrated  migrating  locust, 
or  GryUus  Locusta  mig'ratoria  of  Linnaeus.  By  the  older 
French  entomologists  the  insects  contained  in  it  were  united 
to  the  genus  Aery  dium;  but  Latreille  afterwards  separated 
them  from  Acrydium  under  the  generical  name  of  (Edipoda 
(which  means  swelled  leg),  and  he  is  followed  in  this  by  Ser- 
ville,  the  latest  writer  on  the  Orthoptera.  In  the  insects  of 
this  genus  the  breast  is  not  armed  with  a  blunt  spine  or  tu- 
bercle, a  character  which  distinguishes  the  genus  Acrydium 
from  it.     In  other  respects  these  two  genera  are  much  alike. 


ORTHOPTERA.  153 

1.  Lociista  Carolina*     Carolina  locust. 

Pale  yellowish  brown,  with  small  dusky  spots;  wings  black, 
with  a  broad  yellow  hind  margin,  which  is  covered  with  dusky 
spots  at  the  tip.  Length  from  1  to  1|-  inch;  exp.  2|  to  above 
3|-  inches. 

A  more  detailed  description  of  this  large,  common,  and  well- 
known  species  is  unnecessary.  The  Carolina  locust  is  found 
in  abundance  by  the  road-side,  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of 
summer.  It  generally  makes  use  of  its  large  and  handsome 
wings  in  moving  from  place  to  place.  It  is  frequently  found 
in  company  with  the  red-legged  locust  in  the  vicinity  of  salt 
marshes,  but  it  generally  prefers  warm  and  dry  situations. 
Pairing  takes  place  with  this  species  in  the  months  of  Sep- 
tember and  October,  immediately  after  which  the  female 
prepares  to  lay  her  eggs.  These  are  deposited  at  the  bottom 
of  a  cylindrical  hole  in  the  ground,  made  in  the  manner 
already  described,  and  are  not  hatched  till  the  following  spring. 
The  abdomen  of  the  female  admits  of  being  greatly  extended 
in  length;  hence  she  frequently  deposits  her  eggs  at  the  depth 
of  nearly  two  inches  beneath  the  smface  of  the  soil. 

2.  Locusta  corallina.     Coral-winged  locust. 

Light  brown;  spotted  with  dark  brown  on  the  wing-covers; 
wings  light  vermilion  or  coral-red,  with  an  external  dusky 
border,  which  is  wdde  and  paler  at  the  tip,  narrowed  and 
darker  behind;  hind  shanks  yellow  with  black-tipped  spines. 
Length  1  to  1|  inch;  exp.  2\  to  2 J  inches. 

This  species  closely  resembles  the  Acridimn  tuberculatum  of 
Palisot  de  Beauvois,  which  seems  to  be  the  Q^dipoda  discoidea 
of  Serville,  found  in  the  Southern  States,  of  a  much  larger 
size  than  the  coral-winged  locust,  and  having  the  wings  of  a 
much  deeper  and  duller  red  color,  and  the  blackish  border  not 
so  much  narrowed  behind.  It  cannot  be  mistaken  for  the 
fenestralis,  which  M.  Serville  describes  as  having  the  antennae 
nearly  as  long  as  the  body,  whereas  in  this  species  they  arc 
not  half  that  length.     The  coral-winged  locust  is  the  first  that 

*  Gryllas  Locusta  CaroUaus,  Linnaeus. 

20 


154  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

makes  its  appearance  with  wings  in  the  spring,  being  found 
flying  about  in  warm  and  dry  pastures  as  early  as  the  middle 
of  April  or  the  first  of  May,  and  is  rendered  very  conspicuous 
by  its  bright  colored  wings,  and  the  loud  noise  which  it  makes 
in  flying.  It  probably  passes  the  winter  in  the  pupa  state, 
and  undergoes  its  last  transformation  in  the  spring;  but  its 
history  is  not  yet  fully  known  to  me,  and  this  opinion  is  the 
result  only  of  conjectm'e. 

3.  Locusta  sulphurea.     Yellow-winged  locust. 

Dusky  brown ;  thorax  slightly  keeled  in  the  middle ;  wing- 
covers  ash-colored  at  their  extremities,  more  or  less  distinctly 
spotted  with  brown;  wings  deep  yellow  next  to  the  body, 
dusky  at  tip,  the  yellow  portion  bounded  beyond  the  middle 
by  a  broad  dusky  brown  band,  which  curves  and  is  prolonged 
on  the  hind  margin,  but  does  not  reach  the  angle  next  to  the 
extremity  of  the  body;  hindmost  thighs  blackish  at  the  end, 
and  with  two  black  and  two  whitish  bands  on  the  inside; 
hindmost  shanks  and  their  spines  black,  with  a  broad  whitish 
ring  just  below  the  knees.  Length  -^^  to  1|  inch;  exp.  If  to 
2^  inches. 

This  insect  agrees  tolerably  well  with  the  brief  description 
given  by  Fabricius  of  his  Gryllus  sulphiireus,  except  that  the 
wings  are  not  sulphur-yellow,  but  of  a  deeper  tint.  It  is  also 
described  and  figured  by  Palisot  de  Beauvois  under  the  name 
of  Acridium  sulphureiim.  It  is  a  rare  species  in  this  vicinity. 
I  have  taken  it,  though  sparingly,  in  its  perfect  state,  in  May 
and  in  September.  The  elevated  ridge  on  the  top  of  the  thorax 
is  higher  than  in  any  other  species  found  in  Massachusetts. 

4.  Locusta  Maritima.     Maritime  locust. 

Ash-gray ;  face  variegated  with  white ;  wing-covers  sprinkled 
with  minute  brownish  spots,  and  semitransparent  at  tip ;  wings 
transparent,  faintly  tinted  with  yellow  next  the  body,  uncolored 
at  tip,  with  a  series  of  irregular  blackish  spots  forming  a  curved 
band  across  the  middle;  hindmost  shanks  and  feet  pale  yellow, 
with  the  extreme  points  of  the  spines  black.  Length  |  to  1^ 
inch ;  exp.  1-^q  inch  to  2|  inches. 


ORTHOPTERA.  155 

This  species  comes  very  near  to  Mr.  Kirby's  description  of 
the  Locusta  leucostoma;  but  is  evidently  distinct  from  it,  and 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  described  before.  I  have  received 
it  from  Sandwich,  and  have  found  it  in  great  abundance  among 
the  coarse  grass  which  grows  near  the  edges  of  om*  sandy 
beaches,  but  have  never  seen  it  except  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  sea.  It  comes  to  maturity  and  lays  its  eggs  about  the 
middle  of  August  or  a  little  later. 

5.  Locusta  CBqualis.     Barren-ground  locust. 

Ash-gray,  mottled  with  dusky  brown  and  white ;  wing-covers 
semitransparent  at  tip,  with  numerous  dusky  spots  which  run 
together  so  as  to  form  three  transverse  bands;  wings  light 
yellow  on  their  basal  half,  transparent  with  dusky  veins  and  a 
few  spots  at  the  tip,  with  an  intermediate  broad  black  band, 
which,  curving  and  becoming  narrower  on  the  hind  margin,  is 
continued  to  the  inner  angle  of  the  wing;  hindmost  shanks 
coral-red,  with  a  broad  white  ring  below  the  knees,  and  the 
spines  tipped  with  black.     Length  1^  inch ;  exp.  2\  inches. 

Mr.  Say,  to  whom  I  sent  a  specimen  of  this  handsome  lo- 
cust, informed  me  that  it  was  his  Gryllus  eqimlis,  probably 
intended  for  cequalis.  It  is  found,  during  the  months  of  July 
and  August,  on  dry  barren  hiUs  and  on  sandy  plains,  upon  the 
scanty  herbage  intermingled  with  the  reindeer  moss. 

6.  Locusta  latipennis.     Broad-winged  locust. 

Ash-colored,  mottled  with  black  and  gray;  wing-covers 
semitransparent  beyond  the  middle,  with  numerous  blaclcish 
spots  which  run  together  at  the  base,  and  form  a  band  across 
the  middle ;  wings  broad,  light  yellow  on  the  basal  half,  the 
remainder  dusky  but  partially  transparent,  with  black  network, 
and  deep  black  at  tip,  and  an  intermediate  irregular  band, 
formed  by  a  contiguous  series  of  black  spots,  reaching  only  to 
the  hind  margin,  but  not  continued  towards  the  inner  angle ; 
hindmost  shanks  pale  yellow,  with  a  black  ring  below  the 
knees,  a  broader  one  at  the  extremity,  and  a  blackish  spot 
behind  the  upper  part  of  the  shank.  Length  -f^^  inch;  exp. 
1  j7^  inch. 


156  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

It  is  possible  that  this  may  be  a  variety  of  the  preceding 
species,  from  wliich  it  differs  especially  in  the  form  and  width 
of  the  wings  and  in  the  colors  of  the  hindmost  shanks.  It  is 
found  in  the  same  places,  and  at  the  same  time  as  the  barren- 
ground  locust. 

7.  Locusta  marmorata.     Marbled  locust. 
Ash-colored,  variegated  with  pale  yellow  and  black ;  thorax 

suddenly  narrowed  before  the  middle,  and  the  slightly  elevated 
longitudinal  lino  on  the  top  is  cut  through  in  the  middle  by  a 
transverse  fissure;  wing-covers  marbled  with  large  whitish  and 
black  spots,  and  semiti-ansparent  at  the  end;  wings  light  yel- 
low on  the  half  next  to  the  body,  transparent  near  the  end, 
with  two  black  spots  on  the  ti]),  and  a  broad  intermediate 
black  band,  which,  nan-owed  and  curving  inwards  on  the  hind 
margin,  nearly  reaches  the  inner  angle ;  hindmost  thighs  pale 
yellow,  black  at  the  extremity,  and  nearly  surrounded  by  two 
broad  black  bands;  hind  shanks  coral-red,  with  a  black  ring 
immediately  below  the  knee,  and  followed  by  a  white  ring, 
black  at  the  lower  extremity  also,  with  the  tips  of  the  spines 
black.  In  some  individuals  there  is  an  additional  black  ring 
below  the  white  one  on  the  shanks.     Length  from  -^^  to  above 

■^Q  inch ;  exp.  l^^^  ^^  1  iV  ^"^'^^• 

The  marbled  locust,  which  is  one  of  our  prettiest  species,  is 
found  in  the  open  places  contiguous  to  or  within  pitch-pine 
woods.  Hying  over  the  scanty  grass  and  reindeer  moss  which 
not  unfrequently  gi-ow  in  these  situations.  It  is  marked  on 
the  wings  somewhat  like  the  ban-en-ground  locust,  but  is  inva- 
riably smaller,  with  the  thorax  much  more  contracted  before 
the  middle.  It  appears,  in  the  perfect  state,  from  the  middle 
of  July  to  the  middle  of  October. 

8.  Locusta  eucerata.     Long-horned  locust. 
Ash-colored,  variegated  with  gray  and  dark  brown ;  antennas 

nearly  as  long  as  the  body,  and  with  flattened  joints;  thorax 
very  much  pinched  or  compressed  laterally  before  the  middle, 
with  a  slightly  elevated  longitudinal  line,  which  is  interrupted 
by  two  notches;  wing-covers  and  wings  long  and  narrow;  the 


ORTHOPTERA.  157 

former  variegated  with  dusky  spots,  and  semitransparent  at 
tip;  wings  next  to  the  body  yellow,  sometimes  pale,  sometimes 
deep  and  almost  orange  colored,  at  other  times  uncolored  and 
semitransparent;  with  a  broad  black  band  across  the  middle, 
which  is  narrowed  and  prolonged  on  the  hinder  margin,  and 
extends  quite  to  the  inner  angle ;  beyond  the  band  the  wings 
are  transparent,  with  the  tips  black  or  covered  with  blackish 
spots ;  hindmost  shanks  whitish,  with  a  black  ring  at  each  end, 
a  broader  one  of  the  same  color  just  above  the  middle,  and  the 
spines  tipped  with  black.  Length  -|-  inch  to  -^^  inch ;  exp.  1^-^ 
inch  to  more  than  1-|  inch. 

The  wings  of  this  species  are  very  variable  in  color  at  the 
base.  The  fenestralis  described  by  M.  Serville  has  the  base  of 
the  wings  vermilion  red,  but  in  other  respects  it  approaches  to 
this  species.  The  long-horned  locust  is  found  oftentimes  in 
company  with  the  marbled  species,  and  also  near  sea-beaches 
with  the  maritime  locust,  from  the  last  of  July  to  the  middle 
of  October. 

9.  Locusta  nehulosa.     Clouded  locust. 

Dusky  brown;  thorax  with  a  slender  keel-like  elevation, 
which  is  cut  across  in  the  middle  by  a  transverse  fissure; 
wing-covers  pale,  clouded,  and  spotted  with  brown;  wings 
transparent,  dusky  at  tip,  with  a  dark  brown  line  on  the  front 
margin;  hindmost  shanks  brown,  with  darker  spines,  and  a 
broad  whitish  ring  below  the  knees.  Length  from  -^^  inch  to 
more  than  ly^^  inch;  exp.  from  1^  inch  to  more  than  2  inches. 

A  very  common  species,  and  easily  known  by  its  clouded 
wing-covers  and  colorless  wings.  It  abounds  in  pastures,  and 
even  in  corn-fields  and  gardens,  during  the  months  of  Septem- 
ber and  October,  at  which  time  it  is  furnished  with  ^vings  and 
may  often  be  seen  paired  or  busied  in  laying  eggs.  It  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  described  before. 

The  three  following  locusts  differ  from  the  preceding  in 
having  the  antennae  shorter  than  the  thorax,  and  slightly  thick- 
ened towards  the  end,  and  the  face  somewhat  oblique,  the 
mouth  being  nearer  the  breast  than  in  our  other  species  of 
Locusta;  and  they  seem  to  constitute  a  distinct  group  or  sub- 


15&  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

genus,  which  may  receive  the  name  of  Tragocephala,  or  goat- 
headed  locusts, 

10.  Locusta  ( Tragocephala)  infuscata.     Dusky  locust. 

Dusky  brown;  thorax  with  a  slender  keel-like  elevation; 
wing-covers  faintly  spotted  with  brown;  wings  transparent, 
pale  greenish  yellow  next  to  the  body,  with  a  large  dusky  cloud 
near  the  middle  of  the  hind  margin,  and  a  black  line  on  the 
front  margin;  hind  thighs  pale,  with  two  large  black  spots  on 
the  inside ;  hind  shanks  brown,  with  darker  spines,  and  a  broad 
whitish  ring  below  the  knees.  Length  -|  inch ;  exp.  above  1|- 
inch. 

This  somewhat  resembles  the  clouded  locust,  from  which, 
however,  it  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  much  shorter  antennae 
and  the  dusky  cloud  on  the  hinder  margin  of  the  wings.  I 
have  captured  it  in  pastures,  in  the  perfect  state,  from  the 
middle  of  May  to  near  the  end  of  July.  I  believe  that  it  has 
never  been  described  before. 

11.  Locusta  ( Tragocephala)  viridi-fasciata.     Green-striped 

locust. 

Green ;  thorax  keeled  above ;  wing-covers  with  a  broad  green 
stripe  on  the  outer  margin  extending  from  the  base  beyond  the 
middle  and  including  two  small  dusky  spots  on  the  edge,  the 
remainder  dusky  but  semitransparent  at  the  end ;  wings  trans- 
parent, very  pale  greenish  yellow  next  to  the  body,  with  a 
large  dusky  cloud  near  the  middle  of  the  hind  margin,  and  a 
black  line  on  the  front  margin;  antennae,  fore  and  middle  legs 
reddish;  hind  thighs  green,  with  two  black  spots  in  the  furrow 
beneath;  hind  shanks  blue-gray,  with  a  broad  whitish  ring 
below  the  knees,  and  the  spines  whitish,  tipped  with  black. 
Length  about  1  inch ;  exp.  from  more  than  1|  to  nearly  2  inches. 

This  insect  is  the  Acrydium  viridi-f as  datum  of  Dc  Geer, 
who  was  the  first  describer  of  it,  the  Gnjllus  Virginianus  of 
Fabricius,  the  GrjjUus  Locusta  chnjsomelas  of  Gmelin,  the 
Acrydium  marginatum  of  Olivier,  and  the  Acridium  hemipterum 
of  Palisot  de  Beauvois.  It  is  remarkable  that  a  species,  so 
strongly  marked  as  this  is,  should  have   been  so  profusely 


ORTHOPTERA.  159 

named.  Palisot  de  Beauvois  seems  to  have  selected  the  most 
appropriate  name  for  it;  for  the  green  portion  of  the  wing- 
covers  is  thick  and  opake,  and  the  dusky  portion  thin  and 
semitran spare nt,  as  in  the  wing-covers  of  Hemipterous  insects. 
It  is  very  common  in  pastures  and  mowing  lands  from  the 
first  of  June  to  the  middle  of  August,  being  found  in  various 
states  of  maturity  throughout  this  period.  The  young  also 
appear  still  earlier,  and  are  readily  known  by  their  green  color, 
and  large  compressed  thorax,  which  is  arched  and  crested  or 
keeled  above,  and  by  their  very  short  and  flattened  antennae. 
These  locusts  are  sometimes  very  troublesome  in  gardens, 
living  upon  the  leaves  of  vegetables  and  flowers,  and  attacking 
the  buds  and  half  expanded  petals.  The  larvae  or  young  sm:- 
vive  the  winter,  sheltered  among  the  roots  of  grass  and  under 
leaves. 

12.  Locusta  ( Tragocephala)  radiata.     Radiated  locust. 

Rust-brown;  thorax  keeled  above;  wing-covers  entirely 
brown,  but  semitransparent  at  the  end;  wings  transparent, 
with  brown  network,  and  the  principal  longitudinal  veins 
black;  they  are  very  faintly  tinted  with  green  next  to  the 
body,  have  a  large  dusky  cloud  near  the  middle  of  the  hind 
margin,  and  a  brown  streak  on  the  front  margin ;  hind  shanks 
reddish  brown,  a  little  paler  below  the  knees,  and  the  spines 
tipped  with  black.  Length  about  1  inch ;  exp.  from  1|  to  2 
inches. 

This  species  is  now  for  the  first  time  described.  It  seems 
to  be  rare.  I  captured  one  specimen  in  Cambridge  on  the 
first  of  July,  and  have  received  another  from  Dr.  D.  S.  C.  H. 
Smith  of  Sutton,  Massachusetts.  It  is  found  in  North  Caro- 
lina as  early  as  the  month  of  May  in  the  perfect  state. 

The  following  species  have  the  face  still  more  oblique  than 
the  foregoing,  but  the  antennae  are  much  longer,  particularly 
in  the  males,  in  which  they  nearly  equal  the  body  in  length, 
and  are  not  enlarged  towards  the  end.  The  eyes  are  oval  and 
oblique,  and  there  is  a  deep  hollow  before  each  of  them  for 
the  reception  of  the  first  joint  of  the  antennae.  The  thorax  is 
not  crested  or  keeled,  but  is  flattened  above,  with  three  slender 


160  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

threadlike  elevated  lines,  and  the  hind  margin  is  very  nearly 
transverse,  or  not  much  (if  at  all)  angulated  behind.  The 
wing-covers  and  wings  are  extremely  short.  The  hind  legs 
are  long  and  slender.  I  propose  therefore  to  separate  these 
species  from  the  other  locusts  under  a  subgenus  by  the  name 
of  C/ilo'ealtis,  derived  from  the  Greek,  and  signifying  a  grass- 
hopper. 

13.  Locusta  ( Chlo'eallis)  conspersa.     Sprinkled  locust. 

Light  bay,  sprinkled  with  black  spots;  a  black  line  on  the 
head  behind  each  eye,  extending  on  each  side  of  the  thorax 
on  the  lateral  elevated  line;  wing-covers  oblong  oval,  pale 
yellowish  brown,  with  numerous  small  darker  brown  spots ; 
wings  about  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  long,  transparent, 
with  dusky  lines  at  the  tip;  hind  shanks  pale  red,  with  the 
spines  black  at  the  end.     Length  nearly  ^^  inch. 

This  may  be  merely  a  variety  of  the  following  species, 
though  very  differently  colored. 

14.  Locusta  (  Chloealtis)  abortiva.     Abortive  locust. 

Brown;  wing-covers  with  dark  brown  veins  and  confluent 
spots,  covering  two  thirds  of  the  abdomen ;  wings  three  twen- 
tieths of  an  inch  long,  transparent,  with  dusky  lines  at  the 
tip;  hind  margin  of  the  thorax  straight;  hind  shanks  coral- 
red,  whitish  just  below  the  knees,  the  spines  tipped  with  black. 
Length  nearly  -^q  inch. 

This  and  the  preceding  locust,  have  much  the  appearance 
of  pupa}  or  young  insects,  nevertheless  I  believe  that  their 
wings  and  wing-covers  never  become  larger,  and  Mr.  Leonard 
informs  me  that  they  are  found  paired.  I  have  captured  the 
abortive  locust  in  pastures  near  the  end  of  Jv^ly. 

15.  Locusla  ( Chloealtis)  curtipennis.     Short-winged  locust. 

Olive-gray  above,  variegated  with  dark  gray  and  black ;  legs 
and  body  beneath  yellow;  a  broad  black  line  extends  from 
behind  each  eye  on  the  sides  of  the  thorax;  wing-covers,  in 
the  male,  as  long  as  the  abdomen,  in  the  female,  covering  two 
thirds  of  the  abdomen;  wings  rather  shorter  than  the  wing- 


ORTIIOPTERA.  161 

covers,  transparent,  and  faintly  tinged  with  yellow;  hinder 
knees  black;  spines  on  the  hind  shanks  tipped  with  black. 
Length  from  ^  to  more  than  -^^  inch ;  exp.  from  -^  to  nearly  1 
inch. 

The  flight  of  the  short-winged  locust  is  noiseless  and  short, 
but  it  leaps  well.  Great  numbers  of  these  insects  are  found 
in  our  low  meadows,  in  the  perfect  state,  from  the  first  of 
August  till  the  middle  of  October.  They  are  easily  distin- 
guished from  other  locusts  by  their  short  and  narrow  wings, 
by  the  yellow  color  of  the  body  beneath,  and  by  the  yellow 
legs  and  black  knees. 

III.     TETRix.     Grouse-locust. 

The  Greeks  applied  the  name  of  Tetrix  to  some  kind  of 
grouse,  probably  the  heath-cock  of  Europe,  and  Latreille 
adopted  it  for  a  genus  of  locusts  in  which,  perhaps,  he  fan- 
cied some  resemblance  to  the  bird  in  question.  Linnaeus 
placed  these  locusts  in  a  division  of  his  genus  Gryllus,  which 
he  called  Bulla,  a  name  that  ought  to  have  been  retained  for 
them.  The  principal  distinguishing  characters  of  the  genus 
have  already  been  given,  and  I  will  only  add  that  the  body  is 
broadest  between  the  middle  legs,  narrows  gradually  to  a  point 
behind,  and  very  abruptly  to  the  head,  which  is  much  smaller 
than  in  the  other  locusts.  The  wings  are  large,  forming  nearly 
the  quadrant  of  a  circle,  thin  and  delicate,  and  scalloped  on 
the  edge ;  when  not  in  use  they  are  folded  beneath  the  pro- 
jecting thorax.  The  four  boring  appendages  of  the  females 
are  notched  on  their  edges  with  fine  teeth,  like  a  saw.  La- 
treille and  Serville  have  stated  that  the  antennas  consist  of 
only  thirteen  or  fourteen  joints;  but  some  of  our  native  species 
have  twenty-two  joints  in  the  antenna.  Upon  this  variation 
I  would  arrange  those  now  to  be  described  in  two  groups. 

I.  Antennce  14-jomted;  eyes  very  prominent,  ivith  a  project- 
ing ridge  beticeen  them,  formed  by  a  horizontal  extension  of  the 
fiat  top  of  the  head;  thorax  prolonged  beyond  the  extremity  of 
the  body. 

21 


l€S  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

1.  Tetrix  ornata.     Ornamented  grouse-locust. 

Dark  ash-colored ;  a  large  white  patch  between  four  black 
spots  on  the  top  of  the  thorax;  a  white  spot  on  the  top  of  the 
hind  thighs;  thorax  nearly  or  quite  as  long  as  the  wings. 
Length  f  J  to  -{^  inch  to  the  apex  of  the  thorax. 

This  species  varies  in  wanting  the  white  spot  on  the  top  of 
the  thorax  sometimes.  It  was  first  described  by  Mr.  Say, 
mider  the  name  of  Acrydium  ornatiim* 

2.  Tetrix  dorsalis.     Red-spotted  grouse-locust. 
Rusty  black,  with  ochre-yellow  spots  on  the  sides  and  legs, 

and  a  large  rust-red  spot  on  the  top  of  the  thorax;  wings  ex- 
tending beyond  the  apex  of  the  thorax.     Length  1  inch. 

3.   Tetrix  quadrimacidata.     Four-spotted  grouse-locust. 

Ash-colored  or  dark  gray  above,  variegated  with  black ;  four 
velvet-black  spots  on  the  top  of  the  thorax ;  wings  projecting 
beyond  the  extremity  of  the  thorax.  Length  from  -^^  to  ^^  of 
an  inch. 

This  is  a  shorter  and  thicker  species  than  the  ornamented 
grouse-locust.  It  is  not  uncommon  in  pastures  from  the  first 
of  May  to  the  first  of  June. 

4.   Tetrix  bilineata.     Two-lined  grouse-locust. 

Ash-colored;  thorax  paler,  with  a  narrow  angular  whitish 
line,  on  each  side,  extending  from  the  head  beyond  the  middle ; 
the  angular  portion  including  a  long  blackish  patch  on  each 
side ;  wings,  in  the  male,  rather  shorter  than  the  thorax,  in  the 
female  longer.     Length  from  gV  ^^  more  than  ^^  inch. 

5.   Tetrix  sordida.     Sordid  grouse-locust. 

Yellowish  ash-colored;  thorax  with  minute  elevated  black 
points;  wings,  in  both  sexes,  rather  longer  than  the  thorax. 
Length  from  -^^J  inch  to  nearly  ^  inch. 

I  have  taken  this  species  both  in  May  and  September,  and 

*  American  Entomology.     Vol.  I.  plate  5. 


ORTHOPTERA.  163 

have  received  a  specimen  from  Dr.  D.  S.  C.  H.  Smith,  of  Sut- 
ton, Massachusetts. 

II.  Antenna;  22-jointed ;  eyes  hardly  prominent^  top  of  the 
head  not  horizontal  between  them,  bid  curving  toivards  the  front, 
ivith  a  very  slightly  projecting  ridge;  wings  smaller  than  in 
those  of  the  preceding  group. 

6.    Tetrix  lateralis.     Black-sided  grouse-locust. 

Pale  brown;  sides  of  the  body  blackish;  thorax  yellowish 
clay-colored,  shorter  than  the  wings,  but  longer  than  the  body; 
wing-covers  with  a  small  white  spot  at  the  tips;  male  with 
the  face  and  the  edges  of  the  lateral  margins  of  the  thorax 
yellow.     Length  from  2^^  to  -^^  of  an  inch. 

This  species  was  first  described  by  Mr.  Say  under  the  name 
of  Acrydium  laterale.*  I  have  taken  it  from  the  middle  of 
April  to  the  middle  of  May.  It  varies  in  being  darker  above 
sometimes. 

,        7.   Tetrix  parvipennis.     Small-winged  grouse-locust. 

Dark  brown;  sides  blackish;  thorax  clay-colored  or  pale 
brown,  about  as  long  as  the  body;  wing-covers  with  a  small 
white  spot  at  the  tips ;  wings  much  shorter  than  the  thorax ; 
male  with  the  face  and  the  edges  of  the  lateral  margins  of  the 
thorax  yellow.     Length  from  -^^  to  more  than  0%  inch. 

This  species  is  much  shorter  and  thicker  than  the  Tetrix 
lateralis.  I  have  taken  it  in  April  and  May,  in  the  perfect 
state,  and  have  found  the  pupas  near  the  end  of  July. 

The  habits  of  the  grouse-locusts  are  said  to  be  absolutely 
the  same  as  those  of  other  locusts.  They  seem,  however,  to 
be  more  fond  of  heat,  being  generally  found  in  grassy  places, 
on  banks,  by  the  sides  of  the  road,  and  even  on  the  naked 
sands,  exposed  to  the  full  influence  of  the  sun  throughout  the 
day.  They  are  extremely  agile,  and  consequently  very  difficult 
to  capture,  for  they  leap  to  an  astonishing  distance,  considering 
their  small  size,  being  moreover  aided  in  this  motion  by  their 
ample  wings.     The  young,  which  are  deprived  of  wings,  are 

*  American  Entomology.     Yol.  I.  plate  5. 


164  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

generally  found  about  midsummer,  and  are  readily  distin- 
guished by  the  thorax,  which  is  somewhat  like  a  reversed  boat, 
being  furnished  with  a  longitudinal  ridge  or  keel  from  one  end 
to  the  other.  These  little  locusts  are  analogous  to  the  insects 
belonging  to  the  genus  Membracis  in  the  order  Hemiptera, 
which  also  are  distinguished  by  a  very  large  thorax  covering 
the  whole  of  the  upper  side  of  the  body,  small  wing-covers, 
and  have  the  faculty  of  making  great  leaps.  Indeed  these  two 
kinds  of  insects  very  naturally  connect  the  orders  Orthoptera 
and  Hemiptera  together. 

After  so  much  space  has  been  devoted  to  an  account  of  the 
ravages  of  grasshoppers  and  locusts,  and  to  the  descriptions 
of  the  insects  themselves,  perhaps  it  may  be  expected  that  the 
means  of  checking  and  destroying  them  should  be  fully  ex- 
plained. The  naturalist,  however,  seldom  has  it  in  his  power 
to  put  in  practice  the  various  remedies  which  his  knowledge 
or  experience  may  suggest.  His  proper  province  consists  in 
examining  the  living  objects  about  him  with  regard  to  their 
structure,  their  scientific  arrangement,  and  their  economy  or 
history.  In  doing  this,  he  opens  to  others  the  way  to  a  suc- 
cessful course  of  experiments,  the  trial  of  which  he  is  generally 
obliged  to  leave  to  those  who  are  more  favorably  situated  for 
their  performance. 

In  the  South  of  France  the  people  make  a  business,  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year,  of  collecting  locusts  and  their 
eggs,  the  latter  being  turned  out  of  the  ground  in  little  masses 
cemented  and  covered  with  a  sort  of  gum  in  which  they  are 
enveloped  by  the  insects.  Rewards  are  oflered  and  paid  for 
their  collection,  half  a  franc  being  given  for  a  kilogramme 
(about  2  lb.  3|  oz.  avoirdupois)  of  the  insects,  and  a  quarter 
of  a  franc  for  the  same  weight  of  their  eggs.  At  this  rate 
twenty  thousand  francs  were  paid  in  Marseilles,  and  twenty- 
five  thousand  in  Aries,  in  the  year  1613 ;  in  1824,  five  thousand 
five  hundred  and  forty-two,  and  in  1825,  sLx  thousand  two 
hundred  francs  were  paid  in  Marseilles.  It  is  stated  that  an 
active  boy  can  collect  from  six  to  seven  kilogrammes  (or  from 
13  lb.  3  oz.  13.22  dr.  to  15  lb.  7  oz.  2.09  dr.)  of  eggs  in  one 
day.     The  locusts  are  taken  by  means  of  a  piece  of  stout 


ORTHOPTERA.  165 

cloth,  carried  by  four  persons,  two  of  whom  draw  it  rapidly 
along,  so  that  the  edge  may  sweep  over  the  surface  of  the 
soil,  and  the  two  others  hold  up  the  cloth  behind  at  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees.*  This  contrivance  seems  to  operate 
somewhat  like  a  horserake,  in  gathering  the  insects  into  win- 
rows  or  heaps,  from  which  they  are  speedily  transferred  to 
large  sacks.  A  somewhat  similar  plan  has  been  successfully 
tried  in  this  country,  as  appears  by  an  account  extracted  from 
the  "  Portsmouth  Journal,"  and  published  in  the  "  New  Eng- 
land Farmer."  f  It  is  there  stated  that,  in  July  1826,  Mr. 
Arnold  Thompson,  of  Epsom,  New  Hampshire,  caught,  in 
one  evening,  between  the  hours  of  eight  and  twelve,  in  his 
own  and  his  neighbor's  grain  fields,  five  bushels  and  three 
pecks  of  grasshoppers,  or  more  properly  locusts.  "  His  mode 
of  catching  them  was  by  attaching  two  sheets  together,  and 
fastening  them  to  a  pole,  which  was  used  as  the  front  part  of 
the  drag.  The  pole  extended  beyond  the  width  of  the  sheets, 
so  as  to  admit  persons  at  both  sides  to  draw  it  forward.  At 
the  sides  of  the  drag,  braces  extended  from  the  pole  to  raise 
the  back  part  considerably  from  the  ground,  so  that  the  grass- 
hoppers could  not  escape.  After  running  the  drag  about  a 
dozen  rods  with  rapidity,  the  braces  were  taken  out,  and  the 
sheets  doubled  over;  the  grasshoppers  were  then  swept  from 
each  end  towards  the  centre  of  the  sheet,  where  was  left  an 
opening  to  the  mouth  of  a  bag  which  held  about  half  a  bushel ; 
when  deposited  and  tied  up,  the  drag  was  again  opened  and 
ready  to  proceed.  When  this  bag  was  filled  so  as  to  become 
burdensome  (their  weight  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  the 
same  measiure  of  corn),  the  bag  was  opened  into  a  larger 
one,  and  the  grasshoppers  received  into  a  new  deposit.  The 
drag  can  be  used  only  in  the  evening,  when  the  grasshoppers 
are  perched  on  the  top  of  the  grain.  His  manner  of  destroying 
them  was  by  dipping  the  large  bags  into  a  kettle  of  boiling 
water.  When  boiled,  they  had  a  reddish  appearance,  and 
made  a  fine  feast  for  the  farmer's  hogs."     When  these  insects 

*  See  Annales  de  la  Socictc  Entoniologique  de  France.     Vol.  II.  pp.  486-489. 
t  Vol.  V.  p.  5. 


166  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

are  very  prevalent  on  our  salt  marshes,  it  will  be  advisable  to 
mow  the  grass  early,  so  as  to  secure  a  crop  before  it  has  suf- 
fered much  loss.  The  time  for  doing  this  will  be  determined 
by  data  furnished  in  the  foregoing  pages,  where  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  most  destructive  species  come  to  maturity  during  the 
latter  part  of  July.  K  then,  the  marshes  are  mowed  about 
the  first  of  July,  the  locusts,  being  at  that  time  small  and  not 
provided  with  wings,  will  be  unable  to  migrate,  and  will  con- 
sequently perish  on  the  ground  for  the  want  of  food,  while  a 
tolerable  crop  of  hay  will  be  secured,  and  the  marshes  will 
sutler  less  from  the  insects  during  the  folloAving  summer.  This, 
like  all  other  preventive  measures,  must  be  generally  adopted, 
in  order  to  prove  effectual ;  for  it  will  avail  a  farmer  but  little 
to  take  preventive  measures  on  his  own  land,  if  his  neighbors, 
who  are  equally  exposed  and  interested,  neglect  to  do  the 
same.  Among  the  natural  means  which  seem  to  be  appointed 
to  keep  these  insects  in  check,  violent  winds  and  storms  may  be 
mentioned,  which  sometimes  sweep  them  off  in  great  swarms, 
and  cast  them  into  the  sea.  Vast  numbers  are  drowned  by 
the  high  tides  that  frequently  inundate  our  marshes.  They 
are  subject  to  be  attacked  by  certain  thread-like  brown  or 
blackish  worms  (Filaria),  resembling  in  appearance  those  called 
horse-hair  eels  ( Gordius).  I  have  taken  three  or  four  of  these 
animals  out  of  the  body  of  a  single  locust.  They  are  also 
much  infested  by  little  red  mites,  belonging  apparently  to  the 
genus  Ocypete;  these  so  much  weaken  the  insects  by  sucking 
the  juices  from  their  bodies,  as  to  hasten  their  death.  Ten  or 
a  dozen  of  these  mites  will  frequently  be  found  pertinaciously 
adhering  to  the  body  of  a  locust,  beneath  its  wing-covers  and 
wings.  A  kind  of  sand-wasp  preys  upon  grasshoppers,  and 
provisions  her  nest  with  them.  Many  birds  devour  them, 
particularly  our  domestic  fowls,  which  eat  gi*eat  numbers  of 
grasshoppers,  locusts,  and  even  crickets.  Young  turkeys,  if 
allowed  to  go  at  large  during  the  summer,  derive  nearly  the 
whole  of  their  subsistence  from  these  insects. 


HEMIPTERA.  167 


HEMIPTERA. 

Bugs.  — Squash-Bug.  Chinch-Bug.  Plant-Bugs. —  Harvest-Flies.  —  Tree- 
HoppEUS.  Leaf-Hoppers.  Vine-Hopper.  Bean-Hopper.  —  Thrips. — 
Plant-Lice.      American  Blight.  —  Enemies  of  Plant-Lice.  —  Bark- Lice. 

The  word  bug  seems  originally  to  have  been  used  for  any 
frightful  object,  whether  real  or  imaginary,  whose  appearance 
was  to  be  feared  at  night.  It  was  applied  in  the  same  sense 
as  bugbear,  and  also  as  a  term  of  contempt  for  something 
disagreeable  or  hateful.  In  later  times  it  became,  with  the 
common  people,  a  general  name  for  insects,  which,  being  little 
known,  were  viewed  with  dislike  or  terror.  At  present,  how- 
ever, we  can  say,  with  L'Estrange,  though  "we  have  a  horror 
for  uncouth  monsters,  upon  experience  all  these  bugs  grow 
familiar  and  easy  to  us."  We  would  except,  from  this  remark, 
those  domestic  nocturnal  species  to  which  the  name  is  now 
applied  by  way  of  preeminence;  the  real,  by  an  easy  transi- 
tion in  the  use  of  language,  having  assumed  the  name  of  the 
imaginary  objects  of  terror  and  disgust  by  night. 

Entomologists  now  use  the  word  bug  for  various  kinds  of 
insects,  all,  like  the  bed-bug,  having  the  mouth  provided  with 
a  slender  beak,  which,  when  not  in  use,  is  bent  under  the  body, 
and  lies  upon  the  breast  between  the  legs.  This  instrument 
consists  of  a  horny  sheath,  containing,  in  a  groove  along  its 
upper  surface,  three  stiff  bristles  as  sharp  as  needles.  Bugs 
have  no  jaws,  but  live  by  sucking  the  juices  of  animals  and 
plants,  which  they  obtain  by  piercing  them  with  their  beaks. 
Although  the  domestic  kinds  above-mentioned  are  without 
wing-covers  and  wings,  yet  most  bugs  have  both,  and,  with 
the  former,  belong  to  an  order  called  Hemiptera,  literally  half- 
wings,  on  account  of  the  peculiar  construction  of  their  wing- 
covers,  the  hinder  half  of  which  is  thin  and  filmy  like  the 
wings,  while  the  fore  part  is  thick  and  opake.  There  are, 
however,  other  insects  provided  with  the  same  kind  of  beak, 


168  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

but  having  the  wing-covers  sometimes  entirely  transparent, 
and  sometimes  more  or  less  opake,  and  these,  by  most  ento- 
mologists, are  also  classed  among  Hemipterous  insects,  because 
they  come  much  nearer  to  them  than  to  any  other  insects,  in 
structure  and  habits.  Bugs,  like  other  insects,  undergo  three 
changes,  but  they  retain  nearly  the  same  form  in  all  their  stages ; 
for  the  only  transformation  to  which  they  are  subject,  from  the 
young  to  the  adult  state,  is  occasioned  by  the  gradual  develop- 
ment of  their  wing-covers  and  wings,  and  the  growth  of  their 
bodies,  which  make  it  necessary  for  them  repeatedly  to  throw 
off  their  skins,  to  allow  of  their  increase  in  size.  Young, 
half-grown,  and  mature,  all  live  in  the  same  way,  and  all  are 
equally  active.  The  young  come  forth  from  the  egg  without 
wing-covers  and  wings,  which  begin  to  appear  in  the  form  of 
little  scales  on  the  top  of  their  backs  as  they  grow  older,  and 
increase  in  size  with  each  successive  moulting  of  the  skin,  till 
they  are  fully  developed  in  the  full-grown  insect. 

The  Hemiptera  are  divided  into  two  groups,  distinguished 
by  the  following  characters. 

1.  Bugs,  or  True  Hemiptera  [Hemiptera  heteroptera)^  in 
which  the  wing-covers  are  thick  and  opake  at  the  base,  but 
thin  and  more  or  less  transparent  and  wing-like  at  the  tips, 
are  laid  horizontally  on  the  top  of  the  back,  and  cross  each 
other  obliquely  at  the  end,  so  that  the  thin  part  of  one  wing- 
cover  overlaps  the  same  part  of  the  other;  the  wings  are  also 
horizontal,  and  are  not  plaited;  the  head  is  more  or  less  hori- 
zontal, and  the  beak  issues  from  the  fore  part  of  it,  and  is 
abruptly  bent  backwards  beneath  the  under  side  of  the  head, 
and  the  breast.  Some  of  the  insects  belonging  to  this  division 
live  on  animal,  and  others  on  vegetable  juices. 

2.  Harvest-flies,  Plant-lice,  and  Bark-lice  [Hemiptera 
homoptera),  in  which  the  wing-covers  are,  as  the  scientific  name 
implies,  of  one  texture  throughout,  and  are  either  entirely  thin 
and  transparent,  like  wings,  or  somewhat  thicker  and  opake; 
they  are  not  horizontal,  and  do  not  cross  each  other  at  their 
extremities,  but,  together  with  the  wings,  are  more  or  less  in- 
clined at  the  sides  of  the  body,  like  the  wing-covers  of  locusts ; 
the  face  is  either  vertical,  or  slopes  obliquely  under  the  body, 


IIEMIPTERA.  169 

SO  that  the  beak  issues  from  the  under  side  of  the  head  close 
to  the  breast.  All  the  insects  included  in  this  division,  live  on 
vegetable  juices. 

I.     BUGS.     {Iletniptcra  heteroptcra.') 

The  hemipterous  insects  belonging  to  this  division  are  wiri- 
ous  kinds  of  bugs,  properly  so  called,  such  as  squash-bugs, 
bed-bugs,  fruit-bugs,  water-bugs,  water-boatmen,  and  many 
others,  for  which  there  are  no  common  names  in  our  language. 
In  my  Catalogue  of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts,  the  scientific 
names  of  ninety-five  native  species  are  given ;  but,  as  the  mere 
description  of  these  insects,  unaccompanied  by  any  details 
respecting  their  economy  and  habits,  would  not  interest  the 
majority  of  readers,  and  as  I  am  not  sufficiently  prepared  to 
furnish  these  details  at  present,  I  shall  confine  my  remarks  to 
two  or  three  species  only. 

The  common  squash-bug,  Coreus  tristis,  so  well  known  for 
the  injurious  effects  of  its  punctures  on  the  leaves  of  squashes, 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  insects.  It  was  first 
described  by  De  Geer,  who  gave  it  the  specific  name  of  tristis, 
from  its  sober  color,  which  Gmelin  unwarrantably  changed  to 
mccstiis,  having,  however,  the  same  meaning.  Fabricius  called 
it  Coreus  nigator,  the  latter  word  signifying  one  who  wrinkles, 
which  was  probably  applied  to  this  insect,  because  its  punc- 
tures cause  the  leaves  of  the  squash  to  become  wrinkled.  Mr. 
Say,  not  being  aware  that  this  insect  had  already  been  three 
times  named  and  described,  redescribed  it  under  the  name  of 
Coreus  ordinatus.  Of  these  four  names,  however,  that  of 
tristis,  being  the  first,  is  the  only  one  which  it  can  retain. 
Coreus,  its  generical  name,  was  altered  by  Fabricius  from 
Coris,  a  word  used  by  the  Greeks  for  some  kind  of  bug 
About  the  last  of  October  squash-bugs  desert  the  plants  upon 
which  they  have  lived  during  the  summer,  and  conceal  them- 
selves in  crevices  of  walls  and  fences,  and  other  places  of 
security,  where  they  pass  the  winter  in  a  torpid  state.  On 
the  return  of  warm  weather,  they  issue  from  their  winter  quar- 
ters, and  when  the  vines  of  the  squash  have  put  forth  a  few 
rough  leaves,  the  bugs  meet  beneath  their  shelter,  pair,  and 
22 


VJQ  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

immediately  afterwards  begin  to  lay  their  eggs.  This  usually 
happens  about  the  last  of  June  or  beginning  of  July,  at  which 
time,  by  carefully  examining  the  vines,  we  shall  find  the  insects 
on  the  ground  or  on  the  stems  of  the  vines,  close  to  the  ground, 
from  which  they  are  hardly  to  be  distinguished  on  account  of 
theif  dusky  color.  This  is  the  place  where  they  generally  re- 
main during  the  daytime,  apparently  to  escape  observation; 
but  at  night  they  leave  the  ground,  get  beneath  the  leaves, 
and  lay  their  eggs  in  little  patches,  fastening  them  with  a 
gummy  substance  to  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves.  The  eggs 
are  round,  and  flattened  on  two  sides,  and  are  soon  hatched. 
The  young  bugs  are  proportionally  shorter  and  more  rounded 
than  the  perfect  insects,  are  of  a  pale  ash-color,  and  have  quite 
large  antennae,  the  joints  of  which  are  somewhat  flattened. 
As  they  grow  older  and  increase  in  size,  after  moulting  their 
skins  a  few  times,  they  become  more  oval  in  form,  and  the 
under  side  of  their  bodies  gi-adually  acquires  a  dull  ochre- 
yellow  color.  They  live  together  at  first  in  little  swarms  or 
families  beneath  the  leaves  upon  which  they  were  hatched, 
and  which,  in  consequence  of  the  numerous  punctures  of  the 
insects,  and  the  quantity  of  sap  imbibed  by  them,  soon  wither, 
and  eventually  become  brown,  dry,  and  wrinkled;  when  the 
insects  leave  them  for  fresh  leaves,  which  they  exhaust  in  the 
same  way.  As  the  eggs  are  not  all  laid  at  one  time,  so  the 
bugs  are  hatched  in  successive  broods,  and  consequently  will 
be  found  in  various  stages  of  growth  through  the  summer. 
They,  however,  attain  their  full  size,  pass  through  their  last 
transformation,  and  appear  in  their  perfect  state,  or  fm*nished 
with  wing-covers  and  wings,  during  the  months  of  September 
and  October.  In  this  last  state  the  squash-bug  measures  six 
tenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  It  is  of  a  rusty  black  color  above, 
and  of  a  dirty  ochre-yellow  color  beneath,  and  the  sharp  lateral 
edges  of  the  abdomen,  which  project  beyond  the  closed  wing- 
covers,  are  spotted  with  ochre-yellow.  The  thin  overlapping 
portion  of  the  wing-covers  is  black;  the  wings  are  transparent, 
but  are  dusky  at  their  tips ;  and  the  upper  side  of  the  abdo- 
men, upon  which  the  wings  rest  when  not  in  use,  is  of  a  deep 
black  color,  and  velvety  appearance.     The  ground-color  of  this 


HEMIPTERA.  It! 

insect  is  really  ochrc-yellow,  and  the  rusty  black  hue  of  the 
head,  thorax,  thick  part  of  the  wing-covers,  and  legs,  is  occa- 
sioned by  numerous  black  punctures,  that,  on  the  head,  are 
arranged  in  two  broad  black  longitudinal  lines,  between  which, 
as  well  as  on  the  margin  of  the  thorax,  the  yellow  is  distinctly 
to  be  seen.  On  the  back  part  of  the  head  of  this  bug,  and 
rather  behind  the  eyes,  are  two  little  glassy  elevated  spots, 
which  are  called  eyelets,  and  which  are  supposed  to  enable 
the  insect  to  see  distant  objects  above  it,  while  the  larger  eyes 
at  the  sides  of  the  head  are  for  nearer  objects  around  it.  Eye- 
lets are  also  to  be  found  in  grasshoppers,  locusts,  and  many 
other  insects.  In  some  of  our  species  of  Coreus  there  is  a 
little  thorn  at  the  base  of  the  antenna?,  the  legs  are  also  thorny 
on  the  under  side,  and  the  hindmost  thighs  are  much  thicker 
than  the  others;  but  none  of  these  characters  are  found  in 
squash-bugs.*  When  handled,  and  still  more  when  crushed, 
the  latter  give  out  an  odor  precisely  similar  to  that  of  an  over- 
ripe pear,  but  far  too  powerful  to  be  agreeable. 

In  order  to  prevent  the  ravages  of  these  insects,  they  should 
be  sought  and  killed  w^hen  they  are  about  to  lay  their  eggs ; 
and  if  any  escape  our  observation  at  this  time,  their  eggs  may 
be  easily  found  and  crushed.  With  this  view  the  squash-vines 
must  be  visited  daily,  during  the  early  part  of  their  growth, 
and  must  be  carefully  examined  for  the  bugs  and  their  eggs. 
A  very  short  time  spent  in  this  way  every  day,  in  the  proper 
season,  wall  save  a  great  deal  of  vexation  and  disappointment 
afterwards.  If  this  precaution  be  neglected  or  deferred  till 
the  vines  have  begun  to  spread,  it  will  be  exceedingly  difficult 
to  exterminate  the  insects,  on  account  of  their  numbers ;  and, 
if  at  this  time  dry  weather  should  prevail,  the  vines  will  suffer 
so  much  from  the  bugs  and  drought  together,  as  to  produce 
but  little  if  any  fruit.  Whatever  contributes  to  bring  forward 
the  plants  rapidly,  and  to  promote  the  vigor  and  luxuriance  of 
their  foliage,  renders  them  less  liable  to  suffer  by  the  exhausting 
punctm-es  of  the  young  bugs.     Water  drained  from  a  cow- 

*  They  appear  to  belong  to  the  genus  Go/iocerics  of  Burmcistcr. 


17$  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

yard,  and  similar  preparations,  have,  with  this  intent,  been 
applied  with  benefit. 

The  wheat-fields  and  corn-fields  of  the  South  and  West 
often  sufler  severely  from  the  depredations  of  certain  minute 
bugs,  long  known  there  by  the  name  of  chinch-bugs,  which 
fortunately  have  not  yet  been  observed  in  New  England.*  It 
is  not  improbable,  however,  that  they  may  spread  in  this 
direction,  and  attack  our  growing  grain  and  other  crops.  In 
anticipation  of  such  a  sad  event,  and  to  gratify  a  curiosity 
that  has  been  expressed  concerning  these  offensive  insects,  I 
venture  to  offer  a  few  remarks  upon  them.  Attention  seems 
early  to  have  been  directed  to  them.  They  are  mentioned  in 
the  eleventh  volume  of  Young's  "Annals  of  Agriculture," 
published,  I  believe,  about  1788.  From  this  work  Messrs. 
Kirby  and  Spence  probably  obtained  the  following  account, 
contained  in  the  first  volume  of  their  interesting  "  Introduction 
to  Entomology."  "  America  suffers  in  its  wheat  and  maize 
from  the  attack  of  an  insect,  which,  for  what  reason  I  know 
not,  is  called  the  chinch-bug  fly.  It  appears  to  be  apterous, 
and  is  said  in  scent  and  color  to  resemble  the  bed-bug.  They 
travel  in  immense  columns  from  field  to  field,  like  locusts, 
destroying  everything  as  they  proceed;  but  their  injuries  are 
confined  to  the  States  south  of  the  40th  degree  of  north  lati- 
tude. From  this  account,"  add  Kirby  and  Spence,  "  the  depre- 
dator here  noticed  should  belong  to  the  tribe  Geocorisce,  Latr.; 
but  it  seems  very  difficult  to  conceive  how  an  insect  that  lives 
by  suction,  and  has  no  mandibles,  could  destroy  these  plants 
so  totally."  I  have  ascertained,  from  an  examination  of  living 
specimens,  that  the  chinch-bug  is  the  Li/g-ceus  leucopterus,  or 
white-winged  Lygneus,  described  by  Mr.  Say,  in  December, 
1831,  in  a  rare  little  pamphlet  on  the  "  Ileteropterous  Hemiptera 
of  North  America."  It  appears,  moreover,  to  belong  to  the 
modern  genus  Rhyparochromus.  In  its  perfect  state  it  is  not 
apterous,  ])ut  is  provided  with  wings,  and  then  measures  about 


*  While  this  sheet  is  passing  through  the  press,  I  have  to  record  the  discovery 
of  one  of  these  bugs  in  my  own  garden,  on  the  17th  of  June,  1S52. 


HEMIPTERA.  173 

three  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length.  It  is  readily  distinguished 
by  its  white  wing-covers,  upon  each  of  which  there  is  a  short 
central  line  and  a  large  marginal  oval  spot  of  a  black  color. 
The  rest  of  the  body  is  black  and  downy,  except  the  beak,  the 
legs,  the  antennae  at  base,  and  the  hinder  edge  of  the  thorax, 
which  are  reddish  yellow,  and  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax, 
which  has  a  grayish  lustre.  The  young  and  wingless  indi- 
viduals are  at  first  bright  red,  changing  with  age  to  brown  and 
black,  and  are  always  marked  with  a  white  band  across  the 
back.  It  is  a  mistake  that  these  insects  are  confined  to  the 
States  south  of  the  40th  degree ;  for  I  have  been  favored  with 
them  by  Professor  Lathrop,  of  Beloit  College,  Wisconsin,  and 
by  Dr.  Le  Baron,  of  Geneva,  Illinois.  The  latter  gentleman 
had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  sufficient  number  without 
going  out  of  his  own  garden.  The  eggs  of  the  chinch-bug 
are  laid  in  the  ground,  in  which  the  young  have  been  found, 
in  great  abundance,  at  the  depth  of  an  inch  or  more.  They 
make  their  appearance  on  wheat  about  the  middle  of  June, 
and  may  be  seen  in  their  various  stages  of  groA\i:h  on  all  kinds 
of  grain,  on  corn,  and  on  herds-grass,  during  the  whole  sum- 
mer. Some  of  them  continue  alive  through  the  winter  in 
their  places  of  concealment.  A  very  good  account  of  these 
destructive  bugs,  with  an  enlarged  figure,  will  be  found  in  the 
"  Prairie  Farmer,"  for  December,  1845.  In  the  same  publica- 
tion, for  September,  1850,  there  is  an  excellent  description  of 
the  chinch-bug,  by  Dr.  Le  Baron,  who,  not  being  aware  that 
it  had  been  previously  named  by  JVIr.  Say,  called  it  FJiyparo- 
chromus  devastator. 

During  the  summer  of  1838,  and  particularly  in  the  early 
part  of  the  season,  which,  it  will  be  recollected,  was  very  dry, 
our  gardens  and  fields  swarmed  with  immense  numbers  of 
little  bugs,  that  attacked  almost  all  kinds  of  herbaceous  plants. 
My  attention  was  first  drawn  to  them  in  consequence  of  the 
injiuy  sustained  by  a  few  dahlias,  marigolds,  asters,  and  bal- 
sams, with  which  I  had  stocked  a  little  border  around  my  house. 
In  the  garden  of  my  friends  the  Messrs.  Hovey,  at  Cambridge- 
port,  I  observed,  about  the  same  time,  that  these  insects  were 
committing  sad  havoc,  and  was  informed  that  various  means 


174  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

had  been  tried  to  destroy  or  expel  them  without  effect.  On 
visiting  my  potato-patch  shortly  afterwards,  I  found  the  insects 
there  also  in  great  numbers  on  the  vines;  and,  from  informa- 
tion worthy  of  credit,  am  inclined  to  believe  that  these  insects 
contributed,  quite  as  much  as  the  dry  weather  of  that  season, 
to  diminish  the  produce  of  the  potato  fields  in  this  vicinity. 
They  principally  attacked  the  buds,  terminal  shoots,  and  most 
succulent  growing  parts  of  these  and  other  herbaceous  plants, 
puncturing  them  with  their  beaks,  drawing  off  the  sap,  and, 
from  the  effects  subsequently  visible,  apparently  poisoning  the 
parts  attacked.  These  shortly  afterwards  withered,  turned 
black,  and  in  a  few  days  dried  up;  or  curled,  and  remained 
permanently  stunted  in  their  growth.  Early  in  the  morning 
the  bugs  would  be  found  buried  among  the  little  expanding 
leaves  of  the  gi'owing  extremities  of  the  plants,  at  which  time 
it  was  not  very  difficult  to  catch  them ;  but,  after  being  warmed 
by  the  sun,  they  became  exceedingly  active,  and,  on  the  ap- 
proach of  the  fingers,  would  loose  their  hold,  and  either  drop 
suddenly  or  fly  away.  Sometimes,  too,  when  on  the  stem  of 
a  plant,  they  would  dodge  round  to  the  other  side,  and  thus 
elude  our  grasp.  In  July,  1851,  some  of  these  insects  were 
sent  to  me  by  a  gentleman,  who  brought  them  from  St.  Johns- 
bury,  Vt.,  where  they  were  confidently  believed  to  be  the 
cause  of  the  potato-rot. 

This  Idnd  of  bug  is  the  Phytocoris  lineolaris,  a  variety  of 
which  was  first  described  and  figured  by  Palisot  de  Beauvois 
under  the  specific  name  above  given,  and  was  doubtingly 
referred  by  him  to  the  genus  Coreiis;  and  it  was  subsequently 
described  by  Mr.  Say,  who  called  it  Capsus  ohlineatus.  All 
the  insects  belonging  to  the  genus  Phytocoris*  (which  means 
plant-bug)  are  found  on  plants,  and  subsist  on  their  juices, 
which  they  obtain  by  suction  through  their  sharp  beaks. 
They  are  easily  distinguished  from  other  bugs  by  the  follow- 
ing characters.     Eyelets  wanting;  antenniB  four-jointed,  with 

*  This  new  genus,  or  sub-genus  was  instituted  by  Fallen,  and  is  not  noticed 
by  Latrcille  and  Laporte.  It  differs  from  Capsus  chiefly  in  having  a  smaller 
head,  and  the  thorax  wider  behind,  and  narrower  before,  than  in  the  latter  genus. 


HEMIPTERA.  175 

the  first  and  second  joints  much  thicker  than  the  last  two, 
which  are  very  slender  and  threadlike;  the  head  short  and 
triangular;  the  body  oval,  flattened,  and  soft;  the  thorax  in 
the  form  of  a  broad  triangle,  with  the  tij3  of  the  anterior  angle 
cut  off,  and  the  broadest  side  applied  to  the  base  of  the  wing- 
covers  ;  the  latter,  when  folded,  cover  the  whole  of  the  abdomen, 
and  their  thin  portions  have  only  one  or  two  little  veins;  the 
legs  are  slender,  and  the  shanks  are  bristled  with  little  points. 
There  are,  in  Massachusetts,  a  good  many  species  belonging  to 
this  genus ;  but,  in  my  Catalogue  of  the  insects  of  this  Com- 
monwealth, they  are  included  among  the  species  of  Capsus, 
which,  indeed,  they  closely  resemble.  The  Phytocoris  lineola- 
ris,  or  little-lined  plant-bug,  measures  one  fifth  of  an  inch,  or 
rather  more,  in  length.  It  is  an  exceedingly  variable  species. 
The  males  are  generally  much  darker  than  the  females,  being 
very  deep  livid  brown  or  almost  black  above.  The  head  is 
yellowish,  with  three  narrow  longitudinal  reddish  stripes ;  the 
first  joint  of  the  antennae,  the  terminal  half  of  the  second,  and 
the  last  two  joints  are  blackish;  the  beak  is  more  than  one 
thu-d  the  whole  length  of  the  body,  when  folded  beneath  the 
breast,  extends  to  the  middle  pair  of  legs,  and  is  of  a  yellowish 
color,  ringed  with  black ;  the  thorax,  or  that  part  of  the  body 
that  comes  immediately  behind  the  head,  is  thickly  covered 
with  punctures,  has  a  yellow  margin,  and  five  longitudinal 
yellow  lines  upon  it,  which  often  disappear  on  the  back  part; 
the  scutel,  or  escutcheon,  a  small  triangular  piece  behind  the 
thorax,  and  interposed  between  the  bases  of  the  wing-covers, 
is  also  margined  with  yellow,  and  has  a  yellow  spot  upon  it 
in  the  form  of  the  letter  V,  which  is  often  imperfect,  so  that 
only  three  small  yellow  spots  are  visible  in  the  place  of  the 
three  extremities  of  the  letter;  the  thick  part  of  the  wing-covers 
is  brown,  with  the  outer  edge  and  the  longitudinal  veins  some- 
times pale  or  yellowish,  and  behind  this  thick  part  there  is  a 
large  yellowish  spot,  on  the  posterior  tip  of  which  is  a  small 
black  point;  the  thin  or  membranous  part  of  the  wing-covers 
is  shaded  with  dusky  clouds ;  the  under  side  of  the  body  is 
marked  with  a  yellowish  line  or  a  longitudinal  series  of  yellow 
spots  on  each  side  of  the  middle ;  the  legs  are  dirty  brownish 


176  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

yellow,  the  thighs  blackish  at  base,  and  with  two  black  rings 
near  the  tip,  and  the  extremities  of  the  feet  are  blackish.  The 
females  are  most  often  of  a  pale  olive-green,  or  of  a  dirty 
<Tecnish  yellow  color;  the  thorax  spotted  and  more  or  less 
distinctly  striped  with  black,  and  the  thick  part  of  the  wing- 
covers  also  variegated  with  dusky  or  brownish  lines  and  clouds. 
In  both  sexes,  however,  the  yellow  V,  or  the  three  spots  on  the 
thorax,  and  the  large  yellow  spot  tipped  with  black  on  the 
wing-covers,  are  conspicuous  characters,  which  readily  afford 
the  means  of  identifying  the  species.  I  have  taken  this  in- 
sect in  the  spring,  as  early  as  the  twentieth  of  April,  and  in 
the  autumn,  as  late  as  the  middle  of  October ;  from  which  I 
infer  that  it  passes  the  winter  in  the  perfect  state  in  some 
place  of  security.  It  is  most  abundant  during  the  months  of 
June  and  July.  Specimens  have  been  sent  to  me  from  Maine, 
New  York,  North  Carolina,  and  Alabama,  and  Mr.  Say  records 
its  occurrence  in  Pennsylvania,  Indiana,  the  North- West  Ter- 
ritory, and  Missouri.  It  seems,  therefore,  to  be  very  generally 
diffused  throughout  the  Union. 

The  history  of  this  species  is  yet  imperfect.  We  know  not 
where  and  when  the  eggs  are  laid ;  the  young  have  not  been 
observed;  and  the  insects,  during  the  early  periods  of  their 
existence,  have  escaped  notice,  and  are  only  known  to  us  after 
they  have  completed  their  final  transformations.  It  is  possible 
that  further  information  upon  the  history  of  these  insects  may 
afford  some  aid  in  devising  proper  remedies  against  their  ra- 
vages. Upon  a  limited  scale,  as  on  plants  growing  in  our 
gardens,  may  be  tried  the  effect  of  sprinkling  them  with  alka- 
line solutions,  such  as  strong  soapsuds,  or  potash-water,  or 
with  decoctions  of  tobacco  and  of  walnut  leaves,  or  of  dust- 
ing the  plants  with  air-slacked  lime  or  sulphur.  But  in  field 
husbandry  such  applications  would  be  impracticable.  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  nothing  will  prove  so  effectual  as 
thorough  iiTigation,  or  copious  and  frequent  showers  of  rain, 
which  will  bring  forward  the  plants  with  such  rapidity,  that 
they  will  soon  become  so  strong  and  vigorous  as  to  withstand 
the  attacks  of  these  little  bugs.  The  great  increase  of  these 
and  other   noxious  insects  may   fairly  be  attributed  to   the 


IIEMIPTERA.  177 

exterminating  war  which  has  wantonly  been  waged  upon  our 
insect-eating  birds,  and  we  may  expect  the  evil  to  increase 
unless  these  little  friends  of  the  farmer  are  protected,  or  left 
undisturbed  to  multiply,  and  follow  their  natural  habits.  Mean- 
while, some  advantage  may  be  derived  from  encouraging  the 
breed  of  our  domestic  fowls.  A  flock  of  young  chickens  or 
turkeys,  if  suffered  to  go  at  large  in  a  garden,  while  the  mother 
is  confined  within  their  sight  and  hearing,  under  a  suitable 
crate  or  cage,  will  devour  great  numbers  of  destructive  insects ; 
and  our  farmers  should  be  urged  to  pay  more  attention  than 
heretofore  to  the  rearing  of  chickens,  young  turkeys,  and 
ducks,  with  a  view  to  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  their  de- 
struction of  insects. 

n.  HARVEST-FLIES,  &c.  {Hemipfera  Homoptera.) 
By  many  entomologists  this  division  is  raised  to  the  rank  of 
a  separate  order,  under  the  name  of  Homoptera;  but  the  in- 
sects arranged  in  it  are,  as  already  stated,  much  more  like  the 
true  Hemiptera,  or  bugs,  than  they  are  to  the  insects  in  any 
other  order,  which  shows  the  propriety  of  keeping  these  two 
divisions  together,  and  that  separately  they  hold  only  a  subor- 
dinate importance  compared  with  other  orders. 

The  insects  belonging  to  this  division  are  divided  by  natu- 
ralists into  three  large  groups,  or  tribes. 

1.  Harvest-flies,  or  Cicadians  (Cicadad.e);  having  short 
antennae,  which  are  awl-shaped  or  tipped  with  a  little  bristle ; 
wings  and  wing-covers,  in  both  sexes,  inclined  at  the  sides  of 
the  body;  three  joints  to  their  feet;  firm  and  hard  skins;  and 
in  which  the  females  have  a  piercer,  lodged  in  a  fiurow  beneath 
the  extremity  of  the  body. 

2.  Plant-lice  (Aphidid.e);  having  antennae  longer  than  the 
head,  and  threadlike  or  tapering  from  the  root  to  the  end; 
wing-covers  and  wings  frequently  wanting  in  the  females; 
feet  two-jointed;  the  body  very  soft,  generally  furnished  with 
t^vo  little  tubercles  at  the  end;  no  piercer  in  the  females. 

3.  Bark-lice  (Coccid.e);  having  threadlike  or  tapering  an- 
tennse,  longer  than  the  head;  the  males  alone  provided  with 
wings,  which  lie  horizontally  on  the  top  of  the  back;  no  beak 

23 


17&  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

in  this  sex;  females  wingless,  but  furnished  with  beaks;  the 
feet  with  only  one  joint,  terminated  by  a  single  claw;  skins 
tolerably  firm  and  hard ;  two  slender  threads  at  the  extremity 
of  the  body ;  no  piercer  in  the  females. 

1.  Harvest-flies.     ( Cicadadcc.) 
The  most  remarkable  insects  in  this  group  arc  those  to 
which  naturalists  now  apply  the  name  of  Cicada.     They  are 
readily  distinguished  by  their  broad  heads,  the  large  and  very 
convex  eyes  on  each  side,  and  the  three  eyelets  on  the  crown ; 
by  the  transparent  and  veined  wing-covers  andwdngs;  and  by 
the  elevation  on  the  back  part  of  the  thorax  in  the  form  of 
the  letter  X.     The  males  have  a  peculiar  organization  which 
enables  them  to  emit  an  excessively  loud  buzzing  kind  of 
sound,  w^hich,  in  some  species,  may  be  heard  at  the  distance 
of  a  mile;   and  the  females  are  furnished  with  a  curiously 
contrived  piercer,  for  perforating  the  limbs  of  trees,  in  w^hich 
they  place  their  eggs.     Without  attempting  a  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  the  complicated  mechanism  of  these  parts,  which  could 
only  be  made  intelligible  by  means  of  figures,  I  shall  merely 
give  a  brief  and  general  account  of  them,  which  may  suffice 
for  the  present   occasion.     The  musical  instruments   of  the 
male  consist  of  a  pair  of  kettle-drums,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  body,  and  these,  in  the  seventeen-year  Cicada  (or  locust  as 
it  is  generally  but  improperly  called  in  America),  are  plainly 
to  be  seen  just  behind  the  wings.     These  drums  are  formed  of 
convex  pieces  of  parchment,  gathered  into  numerous  fine  plaits, 
and,  in  the  species  above  named,  are  lodged  in  cavities  on  the 
sides  of  the  body  behind  the  •  thorax.     They  are  not  played 
upon  with  sticks,  but  by  muscles  or  cords  fastened  to  the 
inside  of  the  drums.     When  these  muscles  contract  and  re- 
lax, which  they  do  with  great  rapidity,  the  drum-heads  are 
alternately  tightened   and  loosened,  recovering  their  natural 
convexity  by  their  own  elasticity.     The  effect  of  this  rapid 
alternate  tension  and  relaxation  is  the  production  of  a  rattling 
sound,  like  that  caused  by  a   succession  of  quick  pressures 
upon  a  slightly  convex  and  elastic  piece  of  tin  plate.      Certain 
cavities  within  the  body  of  the  insect,  w^hich  may  be  seen  on 


HEMIPTERA.  '  179 

raising  two  large  valves  beneath  the  belly,  and  which  are 
separated  from  each  other  by  thin  partitions  having  the  trans- 
parency and  brilliancy  of  mica  or  of  thin  and  highly  polished 
glass,  tend  to  increase  the  vibrations  of  the  sounds,  and  add 
greatly  to  their  intensity.  In  most  of  our  species  of  Cicada^ 
the  drums  are  not  visible  on  the  outside  of  the  body,  but  are 
covered  by  convex  triangular  pieces  on  each  side  of  the  first 
ring  behind  the  thorax,  which  must  be  cut  away  in  order  to 
expose  them.  On  raising  the  large  valves  of  the  belly,  how- 
ever, there  is  seen,  close  to  each  side  of  the  body,  a  little 
opening,  like  a  pocket,  in  which  the  drum  is  lodged,  and  from 
which  the  sound  issues  when  the  insect  opens  the  valves. 
The  hinder  extremity  of  the  body  of  the  female  is  conical, 
and  the  underside  has  a  longitudinal  channel  for  the  reception 
of  the  piercer,  which  is  furthermore  protected  by  four  short 
grooved  pieces  fixed  in  the  sides  of  the  channel.  The  piercer 
itself  consists  of  three  parts  in  close  contact  with  each  other; 
namely,  two  outer  ones  grooved  on  the  inside  and  enlarged  at 
the  tips,  which  externally  are  beset  with  small  teeth  like  a 
saw,  and  a  central,  spear-pointed  borer,  which  plays  between 
the  other  two.  Thus  this  instrument  has  the  power  and  does 
the  work  both  of  an  awl  and  of  a  double-edged  saw,  or  rather 
of  two  key-hole  saws  cutting  opposite  to  each  other.  No 
species  of  Cicada  possesses  the  power  of  leaping.  The  legs 
are  rather  short,  and  the  anterior  thighs  are  armed  beneath 
with  two  stout  spines. 

The  duration  of  life  in  winged  insects  is  comparatively  very 
short,  seldom  exceeding  two  or  three  weeks  in  extent,  and  in 
many  is  limited  to  the  same  number  of  days  or  hours.  To 
increase  and  multiply  is  their  principal  business  in  this  period 
of  their  existence,  if  not  the  only  one,  and  the  natm*al  term  of 
their  life  ends  when  this  is  accomplished.  In  their  previous 
states,  however,  they  often  pass  a  much  longer  time,  the  length 
of  which  depends,  in  great  measure,  upon  the  nature  and 
abundance  of  their  food.  Thus  maggots,  which  subsist  upon 
decaying  animal  or  vegetable  matter,  come  more  quickly  to 
their  growth  than  caterpillars  and  other  insects  which  devour 
living  plants;  the  former  are  appointed  to  remove  an  offensive 


180  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

nuisance,  and  do  their  work  quickly;  the  latter  have  a  longer 
time  assigned  to  them,  corresponding  in  some  degree  to  the 
progress  or  continuance  of  vegetation.  The  facilities  afforded 
for  obtaining  food  influence  the  duration  of  life;  hence  those 
grubs  that  live  in  the  solid  trunks  of  perennial  trees,  which 
they  are  obliged  to  perforate  in  order  to  obtain  nourishment, 
are  longer  lived  than  those  that  devour  the  tender  parts  of 
leaves  and  fruits,  which  last  only  for  a  season,  and  require  no 
laborious  efforts  to  be  prepared  for  food.  The  harvest-flies 
continue  only  a  few  weeks  after  their  final  transformation,  and 
their  only  nourishment  consists  of  vegetable  juices,  which  they 
obtain  by  piercing  the  bark  and  leaves  of  plants  with  their 
beaks;  and  during  this  period  they  lay  their  eggs,  and  then 
perish.  They  are,  however,  amply  compensated  for  the  short- 
ness of  their  life  in  the  winged  state  by  the  length  of  their 
previous  existence,  during  which  they  are  wingless  and  grub- 
like in  form,  and  live  under  ground,  where  they  obtain  their 
food  only  by  much  labor  in  perforating  the  soil  among  the 
roots  of  plants,  the  juices  of  which  they  imbibe  by  suction. 
To  meet  the  difficulties  of  their  situation  and  the  precarious 
supply  of  their  food,  for  w^hich  they  have  to  grope  in  the  dark 
in  their  subterranean  retreats,  a  remarkable  longevity  is  as- 
signed to  them;  and  one  species  has  obtained  the  name  of 
Cicada  septcndccim,  on  account  of  its  life  being  protracted  to 
the  period  of  seventeen  years. 

This  insect  has  been  observed  in  the  southeastern  parts  of 
Massachusetts,  and  in  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut  river,  as 
far  north  at  least  as  Hadley ;  but  does  not  seem  to  have  ex- 
tended to  other  parts  of  the  State.  The  earliest  account  that 
we  have  of  it  is  contained  in  Morton's  "  Memorial,"  wherein 
it  is  stated  that  "there  was  a  numerous  company  of  flies, 
which  were  like  for  bigness  unto  wasps  or  bumblebees,"  which 
appeared  in  Plymouth  in  the  spring  of  1683.  "  They  came 
out  of  little  holes  in  the  ground,  and  did  eat  up  the  green 
things,  and  made  such  a  constant  yelling  noise  as  made  the 
woods  ring  of  them,  and  ready  to  deafen  the  hearers."  Judge 
Davis,  in  the  Appendix  to  his  edition  of  Secretary  Morton's 
"  Memorial,"  states  that  these  insects  appeared  in  Plymouth, 


HEMIPTERA.  181 

Sandwich,  and  Falmouth,  in  the  year  1804;  but,  if  the  exact 
period  of  seventeen  years  had  been  observed,  they  should  have 
returned  in  1803.  Circumstances  may  occasionally  retard  or 
accelerate  their  progress  to  maturity,  but  the  usual  interval  is 
certainly  seventeen  years,  according  to  the  observations  and 
testimony  of  many  persons  of  undoubted  veracity.  Their 
occurrence  in  large  swarms  at  long  intervals,  like  that  of  the 
migratory  locusts  of  the  east,  probably  suggested  the  name  of 
locusts,  which  has  commonly  been  applied  to  them  in  this 
country.  The  following  extract  from  a  letter*  from  the  late 
Rev.  Ezra  Shaw  Goodwin,  of  Sandwich,  contains  some  in- 
teresting particulars  which  this  gentleman  had  the  kindness  to 
communicate  to  me. 

"  I  have  not  been  unmindful  of  what  you  said  to  me  respect- 
ing the  locust  insects,  nor  of  the  promise  I  made  you  with 
respect  to  them.  They  appeared  in  this  town  in  the  year 
1821,  in  the  middle  of  June.  Their  last  previous  appearance 
was  in  1804,  and  their  last,  previous  to  that,  was  in  1787.  I 
ascertained  these  periods  from  the  statements  of  individuals, 
who  remembered  that  it  was  locust-year,  when  this  or  that 
event  occurred;  as,  when  this  one  was  married,  or  that  one's 
eldest  son  was  born;  events,  the  date  of  which  the  husband 
or  the  parent  would  not  be  very  likely  to  forget.  The  remem- 
brance of  all,  though  fixed  by  different  events,  concurred  in 
establishing  the  same  years  for  the  appearance  of  the  locusts. 

"I  first  took  notice  of  them  in  1821,  on  the  17th  of  June, 
from  their  noise.  They  appeared  chiefly  in  the  forests,  or  in 
thickets  of  forest-trees,  principally  oak.  Their  nearest  distance 
from  my  dwelling  cannot  be  far  from  a  mile;  yet,  at  a  still 
hour,  their  music  was  distinctly  heard  there.  On  going  to  visit 
them,  I  found  the  oak-trees  and  bushes  swarming  with  them 
in  a  winged  state.  They  came  up  out  of  the  ground  a  creep- 
ing insect.  Very  soon,  after  they  had  arrived  on  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  the  skin,  or  rather  the  shell  of  the  insect,  burst 
upon  the  back,  and  the  winged  insect  came  forth,  leaving  the 
skin  or  shell  upon  the  earth,  in  a  perfect  form,  and  uninjured, 
saving  at  the  rupture  on  the  back;  showing  an  entire  with- 

*  Dated  Oct.  19,  1832. 


182  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

drawing  of  the  living  animal,  as  much  so  as  does  the  snake's 
skin  after  he  has  left  it.  Thus  these  skins  lay  in  immense 
numbers  under  the  trees,  entirely  empty,  and  perfect  in  shape. 
The  winged  insects  did  not,  so  far  as  I  could  ascertain,  eat  any 
thing.  Motion  and  propagation  appeared  to  be  the  whole 
object  of  their  existence.  They  continued  about  four  or  five 
weeks,  and  then  died."  Previous  to  this  event  "the  females 
laid  their  eggs  in  the  tender  parts  of  oak  branches,  near  the 
extremities,  making  a  longitudinal  furrow,  and  depositing  rows 
of  eggs  therein.  They  then  sawed  the  branch  partly  off  below 
the  eggs,  so  that  the  wind  could  twist  off  the  extreme  part 
containing  the  eggs,  and  let  it  fall  to  the  ground.  In  this  way 
they  injured  the  trees  extensively.  The  forest  had  a  gloomy 
appearance  from  the  number  of  these  extremities  partially 
twisted  off,  and  hanging,  with  their  dead  leaves,  ready  to  fall. 
In  a  few  weeks  they  were  nearly  all  separated  from  the  trees, 
and  carried  their  vital  burdens  to  the  earth,  which  was,  cer- 
tainly, well  seeded  for  a  harvest  in  1838.  I  know  of  no  other 
damage  which  they  did."  "  I  believe  the  locusts  appear  in 
different  places,  in  different  years,  and  understand  that  the 
locust-year,  in  some  places  not  far  distant,  is  different  from 
their  year  in  this  town."  This  letter  was  accompanied  by 
specimens  of  the  insects,  in  their  various  states,  obtained  and 
preserved  by  Mr.  Goodwin. 

The  writer  of  an  article  in  the  "Boston  Magazine"  for 
November,  1784,  observes  that  Mr.  Morton  must  have  been 
mistaken  as  to  these  insects,  in  saying  that  they  eat  up  the 
green  things,  wiiich,  from  the  structure  of  their  mouths,  we 
now  know  could  not  have  been  the  case.  This  writer  also 
records  the  appearance  of  these  insects  in  1784,  and  the  place 
of  his  residence,  in  which  this  occurred,  is  believed  to  have 
been  in  the  County  of  Bristol;  which  coincides  with  the 
remark  made  by  Mr.  Goodwin,  that  in  different  places  they 
appear  in  different  years.  This  remark  is  furthermore  con- 
firmed  by  the    observations  of  various   persons*   who    have 

*  Among  the  authorities  which  I  have  consulted  upon  the  history  of  the  seven- 
teen-year Cicada,  may  be  mentioned  the  llev.  Andrew  Sandel,  of  Philadelphia, 
an  abstract  of  whose  account  is  given  in  the  4th  vol.  of  Mitchill  and  Miller's 


HEMIPTERA.  183 

published  accounts  of  the  occurrence  of  these  insects  in  the 
Middle,  Southern,  and  Western  States,  where,  at  regular  in- 
tervals of  seventeen  years,  varying  according  to  the  locality, 
they  are  seen  even  in  greater  abundance  than  in  Massachusetts. 
The  following  dates  and  places  of  their  ascent  are  given  in 
Professor  Potter's  "Notes  on  the  Locusta  decern  Septima" 
{Cicada  septendecim) :  Maryland,  1749, 1766, 1783, 1800, 1817, 
1834;  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  1817,  1834;  Middlesex 
County,  New  Jersey,  1826;  Louisiana,  1829;  Gallipolis,  Ohio, 
1821,  and  Muskingum,  1829;  western  parts  of  Pennsylvania, 
1832;  Fall  River,  Massachusetts,  1834.  To  these  may  be 
added  from  other  sources,  Pennsylvania,  1715,  1766,  1783, 
1800,  1817;*  Marietta,  Ohio,  1795,  1812;  Plymouth,  1633, 
1804;  Sandwich,  1787,  1804,1821;  Hadley,  1818;  Westfield, 
1835;  North  Haven,  Conn.,  1724,  1741,  1758, 1792, 1809, 1826, 
1843;  Genesee  County,  New  York,  1832;  Martha's  Vineyard, 
1833.  From  information  derived  from  various  sources  it  ap- 
pears that  this  species  is  widely  spread  over  the  country,  with 
the  exception  only  of  the  northern  parts  of  New  England; 
and  that  it  may  be  seen  in  some  portion  of  the  United  States 
almost  every  year;  and,  although  certain  disturbing  causes 
may  occasionally  accelerate  or  retard  the  return  of  individuals, 
or  even  of  an  entire  swarm,  in  any  one  place,  yet  the  lineal 
descendants  of  one  particular  family  or  swarm  will  ordinarily 

"Medical  Repository,"  p.  71  ;  the  "  Columbian  Magazine,"  vol.  1,  pages  86  and 
108;  Mr.  Moses  Bartram's  account  in  Dodsley's  "Annual  Register"  for  1767, 
p.  103;  Dr.  McMurtrie,  in  the  8th  vol.  of  the  "  Encyclopsedia  Americana,"  p. 
43  ;  Dr.  S.  P.  Hildrcth's  interesting  account  in  the  10th  vol.  of  Silliman's 
"American  Journal  of  Science,"  p.  327;  and  a  pamphlet  entitled  "Notes  on 
the  Locusta,"  &c.,  with  •which  I  have  been  favored  by  the  author.  Professor 
Nathaniel  Potter,  of  Baltimore.  This  last  work  is  exclusively  devoted  to  the 
history  of  this  insect,  and  has  afforded  me  much  valuable  information.  From 
these  various  sources  I  have  selected  the  principal  facts  which  follow.  Mr. 
CoUins's  "Observations  on  the  Cicada  of  North  America,"  published  in  the 
"Philosophical  Transactions"  of  London,  vol.  54,  p.  65,  with  a  plate,  probably 
refer  to  the  seventeen-year  Cicada,  but  the  Insects  figured  are  not  the  same,  and 
seem  to  be  the  Cicada  pruinosa  of  Mr.  Say. 

*  A  writer  in  the  "United  States  Gazette  "  records  the  appearance  of  these 
insects  in  great  numbers  in  Gcrmantown,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  2bth  of  May,  at 
four  successive  periods. 


184  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

come  forth  only  once  in  seventeen  years,  while  those  of  other 
swarms  may  appear,  after  eqvially  regular  intervals,  in  the 
intervening  period,  in  other  places. 

The  seventeen-year  Cicada  (  Cicada  scptendecini  of  Linna?us), 
in  the  winged  state,  is  of  a  black  color,  with  transparent  wings 
and  wing-covers,  the  thick  anterior  edge  and  larger  veins  of 
which  are  orange-red,  and  near  the  tips  of  the  latter  there  is  a 
dusky  zigzag  line  in  the  form  of  the  letter  W ;  the  eyes  when 
living  are  also  red ;  the  rings  of  the  body  are  edged  with  dull 
orange;  and  the  legs  are  of  the  same  color.  The  wings  ex- 
pand from  2|^  to  3|  inches. 

In  those  parts  of  Massachusetts  which  are  subject  to  the 
visitation  of  this  Cicada,  it  may  be  seen  in  forests  of  oak  about 
the  middle  of  June.  Here  such  immense  numbers  are  some- 
times congregated,  as  to  bend  and  even  break  down  the  limbs 
of  the  ti-ees  by  their  weight,  and  the  woods  resound  with  the 
din  of  their  discordant  drums  from  morning  to  evening.  After 
pairing,  the  females  proceed  to  prepare  a  nest  for  the  reception 
of  their  eggs.  They  select,  for  this  purpose,  branches  of  a 
moderate  size,  which  they  clasp  on  both  sides  with  their  legs, 
and  then  bending  down  the  piercer  at  an  angle  of  about  forty- 
five  degrees,  they  repeatedly  thrust  it  obliquely  into  the  bark 
and  wood  in  the  direction  of  the  fibres,  at  the  same  time  put- 
ting in  motion  the  lateral  saws,  and  in  this  way  detach  little 
splinters  of  the  wood  at  one  end,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  fibrous 
lid  or  cover  to  the  perforation.  The  hole  is  bored  obliquely  to 
the  pith,  and  is  gradually  enlarged  by  a  repetition  of  the  same 
operation,  till  a  longitudinal  fissure  is  formed  of  sufficient 
extent  to  receive  from  ten  to  twenty  eggs.  The  side-pieces  of 
the  piercer  serve  as  a  groove  to  convey  the  eggs  into  the  nest, 
where  they  are  deposited  in  pairs,  side  by  side,  but  separated 
from  each  other  by  a  portion  of  woody  fibre,  and  they  are 
implanted  into  the  limb  somewhat  obliquely,  so  that  one  end 
points  upwards.  When  two  eggs  have  been  thus  placed,  the 
insect  withdraws  the  piercer  for  a  moment,  and  then  inserts  it 
again  and  drops  two  more  eggs  in  a  line  with  the  first,  and 
repeats  the  operation  till  she  has  filled  the  fissure  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  upon  which  she  removes  to  a  little  distance,  and 


IIEMIPTERA.  185 

begins  to  make  another  nest  to  contain  two  more  rows  of  eggs. 
She  is  about  fifteen  minntes  in  preparing  a  single  nest  and 
filling  it  with  eggs;  but  it  is  not  unusual  for  her  to  make 
fifteen  or  twenty  fissures  in  the  same  limb ;  and  one  observer 
counted  fifty  nests  extending  along  in  a  line,  each  containing 
fifteen  or  twenty  eggs  in  two  row^s,  and  all  of  them  apparently 
the  work  of  one  insect.*  After  one  limb  is  thus  sufficiently 
stocked,  the  Cicada  goes  to  another,  and  passes  from  limb  to 
limb  and  from  tree  to  tree,  till  her  store,  which  consists  of  four 
or  five  hundred  eggs,  is  exhausted.  At  length  she  becomes  so 
weak  by  her  incessant  labors  to  provide  for  a  succession  of 
her  kind,  as  to  falter  and  fall  in  attempting  to  fly,  and  soon 
dies. 

Although  the  Cicadas  abound  most  upon  the  oak,  they 
resort  occasionally  to  other  forest-trees,  and  even  to  shrubs, 
when  impelled  by  the  necessity  for  depositing  their  eggs,  and 
not  unfrequently  commit  them  to  fruit-trees,  when  the  latter 
are  in  their  vicinity.  Indeed  there  seem  to  be  no  trees  or 
shrubs  that  are  exempted  from  their  attacks,  except  those  of 
the  pine  and  fir  tribes,  and  of  these  even  the  white  cedar  is 
sometimes  invaded  by  them.  The  punctured  limbs  languish 
and  die  soon  after  the  eggs  which  are  placed  in  them  are 
hatched ;  they  are  broken  by  the  winds  or  by  their  own  weight, 
and  either  remain  hanging  by  the  bark  alone,  or  fall  with  their 
withered  foliage  to  the  ground.  In  this  way  orchards  have 
suffered  severely  in  consequence  of  the  injurious  punctures  of 
these  insects. 

The  eggs  are  one  twelfth  of  an  inch  long,  and  one  sixteenth 
of  an  inch  through  the  middle,  but  taper  at  each  end  to  an 
obtuse  point,  and  are  of  a  pearl-white  color.  The  shell  is  so 
thin  and  delicate  that  the  form  of  the  included  insect  can  be 
seen  before  the  egg  is  hatched,  which  occurs,  according  to  Dr. 
Potter,  in  fifty-two  days  after  it  is  laid,  but  Miss  Morris  says 
in  forty-two  days,  and  other  persons  say  in  fourteen  days. 

The  young  insect  when  it  bursts  the  shell  is  one  sixteenth  of 

*  See  also  my  communication  in  Downing's  Horticulturist,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  273, 
Dec,  1848. 

24 


186  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  YEGETATION. 

an  inch  long,  and  is  of  a  yellowish  white  color,  except  the  eyes 
and  the  claws  of  the  fore  legs,  which  are  reddish;  and  it  is 
covered  with  little  hairs.  In  form  it  is  somewhat  grub-like, 
being  longer  in  proportion  than  the  parent  insect,  and  is  fur- 
nished with  six  legs,  the  first  pair  of  which  are  very  large, 
shaped  almost  like  lobster-claws,  and  armed  with  strong  spines 
beneath.  On  the  shoulders  are  little  prominences  in  the  place 
of  wings ;  and  under  the  breast  is  a  long  beak  for  suction. 
These  little  creatures  when  liberated  from  the  shell  are  very 
lively,  and  their  movements  are  nearly  as  quick  as  those  of 
ants.  After  a  few  moments  their  instincts  prompt  them  to  get 
to  the  ground,  but  in  order  to  reach  it  they  do  not  descend  the 
body  of  the  tree,  neither  do  they  cast  off  themselves  precipi- 
tately; but  running  to  the  side  of  the  limb,  they  deliberately 
loosen  their  hold,  and  fall  to  the  earth.  It  seems,  then,  that 
they  are  not  borne  to  the  ground  in  the  egg  state  by  the  limbs 
in  which  their  nests  are  contained,  but  spontaneously  make 
the  perilous  descent,  immediately  after  they  are  hatched,  with- 
out any  clue,  like  that  of  the  canker-worm,  to  carry  them  in 
safety  through  the  air  and  break  the  force  of  their  fall.  The 
instinct  which  impels  them  thus  fearlessly  to  precipitate  them- 
selves from  the  trees,  from  heights  of  which  they  can  have 
formed  no  conception,  without  any  experience  or  knowledge 
of  the  result  of  their  adventurous  leap,  is  still  more  remarkable 
than  that  which  carries  the  gosling  to  the  water  as  soon  as  it 
is  hatched.  In  those  actions,  that  are  the  result  of  foresight, 
of  memory,  or  of  experience,  animals  are  controlled  by  their 
own  reason,  as  in  those  to  which  they  are  led  by  the  use  of 
their  ordinary  senses,  or  by  the  indulgence  of  their  common 
appetites,  they  may  be  said  to  be  governed  by  the  laws  of  their 
organization ;  but  in  such  as  arise  from  special  and  extraordi- 
nary ijistincts,  we  see  the  most  striking  proofs  of  that  creative 
wisdom  which  has  implanted  in  them  an  unerring  guide,  where 
reason,  the  senses,  and  the  appetites  would  fail  to  direct  them. 
The  manner  of  the  young  cicadas'  descent,  so  different  from 
that  of  other  insects,  and  seeming  to  require  a  special  instinct 
to  this  end,  would  be  considered  incredible  perhaps,  if  it  had 
not  been  ascertained  and  repeatedly  confirmed  by  persons  who 


HEMIPTERA.  187 

have  witnessed  the  proceeding.  On  reaching  the  ground  the 
insects  immediately  bury  themselves  in  the  soil,  burrowing  by 
means  of  their  broad  and  strong  fore  feet,  which,  like  those  of 
the  mole,  are  admirably  adapted  for  digging.  In  their  descent 
into  the  earth  they  seem  to  follow  the  roots  of  plants,  and  are 
subsequently  found  attached  to  those  which  are  most  tender 
and  succulent,  perforating  them  with  their  beaks,  and  thus 
imbibing  the  vegetable  juices  which  constitute  their  sole  nour- 
ishment. 

Miss  Margaretta  H.  Morris,  who  attributes  the  decline  of 
the  pear-tree  and  the  failure  of  its  fruit  to  depredations  of  the 
young  Cicadas  on  its  roots,  has  given  interesting  accounts  of 
her  observations  upon  these  insects.  On  removing  the  earth 
from  "  a  pear-tree  that  had  been  declining  for  years,  without 
any  apparent  cause,"  she  "found  the  larvas  of  the  Cicada  in 
countless  numbers  clinging  to  the  roots  of  the  tree,  with  their 
suckers  piercing  the  bark,  and  so  deep  and  firmly  placed,  that 
they  remained  hanging  for  half  an  hour  after  being  removed 
from  the  earth.  From  a  root  a  yard  long,  and  about  an  inch 
in  diameter,  she  gathered  twenty-three  larva3;  they  were  of 
various  sizes,  from  a  quarter  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  length. 
They  were  on  all  the  roots  that  gre^v  deeper  than  sLx  inches 
below  the  surface.  The  roots  were  unhealthy,  and  bore  the 
appearance  of  external  injury  from  small  punctures.  On 
removing  the  outer  coat  of  bark,  this  appearance  increased, 
leaving  no  doubt  as  to  the  cause  of  the  disease."  * 

The  grubs  do  not  appear  ordinarily  to  descend  very  deeply 
into  the  ground,  but  remain  where  roots  are  most  abundant; 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  accounts  of  their  having  been  dis- 
covered ten  or  twelve  feet  from  the  top  of  the  ground  have 
been  founded  on  some  mistake,  or  the  occurrence  of  the  insects 
at  such  a  depth  may  have  been  the  result  of  accident.  The 
only  altera,tion  to  which  the  insects  are  subject,  during  the 
long  period  of  their  subterranean  confinement,  is  an  increase 
of  size,  and  the  more  complete  development  of  the  four  small 


*  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia,  Xov.  and 
Dec,  1846  ;  and  Downing's  Horticulturist,  Vol.  II.  p.  16.  July,  1847. 


188  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

scale-like  prominences  on  their  backs,  which  represent  and 
actually  contain  their  future  wings. 

As  the  time  of  their  transformation  approaches,  they  gradu- 
ally ascend  towards  the  surface,  making  in  their  progress 
cylindrical  passages,  oftentimes  very  circuitous,  and  seldom 
exactly  perpendicular,  the  sides  of  which,  according  to  Dr. 
Potter,  arc  firmly  cemented  and  varnisiied  so  as  to  be  water- 
proof. These  burrows  are  about  five  eighths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  are  filled  below  with  earthy  matter  removed  by  the 
insect  in  its  progress,  and  can  be  traced  by  the  color  and  com- 
pactness of  their  contents  to  the  depth  of  from  one  to  two 
feet,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  soil;  but  the  upper  portion 
to  the  extent  of  six  or  eight  inches  is  empty,  and  serves  as  a 
habitation  for  the  insect  till  the  period  for  its  exit  arrives. 
Here  it  remains  during  several  days,  ascending  to  the  top  of 
the  hole  in  fine  weather  for  the  benefit  of  the  warmth  and  the 
air,  and  occasionally  peeping  forth  apparently  to  reconnoitre, 
but  descending  again  on  the  occurrence  of  cold  or  wet  weather. 

During  their  temporary  residence  in  these  burrows  near  the 
surface,  the   Cicada  grubs,  or  more  properly   pupoe,  for  such 
they  are  to  be  considered  at  this  period,  though  they  still  re- 
tain something  of  a  grub-like  form,  acquire  strength  for  further 
efforts  by  exposure  to  the  light  and  air,  and  seem  then  only  to 
wait  for  a  favorable  moment  to  issue  from  their  subterranean 
retreats.     When  at  length  this  arrives,  they  issue  from  the 
ground  in  great  numbers  in  the  night,  crawl  up  the  trunks  of 
trees,  or  upon  any  other  object  in  their  vicinity  to  which  they 
can  fasten  themselves  securely  by  their  claws.     After  having 
rested  awhile  they  prepare  to  cast  off  their  skins,  which,  in 
the  meantime,  have  become  dry  and  of  an  amber  color.     By 
repeated  exertions  a  longitudinal  rent  is  made  in  the  skin  of 
the  back,  and  through  this  the  included  Cicada  pushes  its 
head  and  body,  and  withdraws  its  wings  and  limbs  from  their 
separate  cases,  and,  crawling  to  a  little  distance,  it  leaves  its 
empty  pupa-skin,  apparently  entire,  still  fastened  to  the  tree. 
At  first  the  wing-covers  and  wings  are  very  small  and  opake, 
but,  being  perfectly  soft  and  flexible,  they  soon  stretch  out  to 
their  full  dimensions,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours  the 


HEMIPTERA.  189 

superfluous  moisture  of  the  body  evaporates,  and  the  insect 
becomes  strong  enough  to  fly. 

During  several  successive  nights  the  pupae  continue  to  issue 
from  the  earth;  above  fifteen  hundred  have  been  found  to 
arise  beneath  a  single  apple  tree,  and  in  some  places  the  whole 
surface  of  the  soil,  by  their  successive  operations,  has  appeared 
as  full  of  holes  as  a  honeycomb.  In  Alabama  the  species 
under  consideration  leaves  the  ground  in  February  and  March, 
in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  in  May,  but  in  Massachusetts 
it  does  not  come  forth  till  near  the  middle  of  June.  Within 
about  a  fortnight  after  their  final  transformation  they  begin  to 
lay  their  eggs,  and  in  the  space  of  six  weeks  the  whole  gener- 
ation becomes  extinct. 

Fortunately  these  insects  are  appointed  to  return  only  at 
periods  so  distant  that  vegetation  often  has  time  to  recover 
from  the  injury  inflicted  by  them;  but  were  they  to  appear  at 
shorter  intervals,  our  forest  and  fruit  trees  would  soon  be 
entirely  destroyed  by  them.  They  are  moreover  subject  to 
many  accidents,  and  have  many  enemies,  which  contribute  to 
diminish  their  numbers.  Their  eggs  are  eaten  by  birds ;  the 
young,  when  they  first  issue  from  the  shell,  are  preyed  upon 
by  ants,  which  mount  the  trees  to  feed  upon  them,  or  destroy 
them  when  they  are  about  to  enter  the  ground.  Blackbirds 
eat  them  when  turned  up  by  the  plough  in  fields,  and  hogs 
are  excessively  fond  of  them,  and,  when  suffered  to  go  at  large 
in  the  woods,  root  them  up,  and  devour  immense  numbers 
just  before  the  arrival  of  the  period  of  their  final  transforma- 
tion, when  they  are  lodged  immediately  under  the  surface  of 
the  soil.  It  is  stated  that  many  perish  in  the  egg  state,  by  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  bark  and  wood,  which  closes  the  perfora- 
tions and  buries  the  eggs  before  they  have  hatched ;  and  many, 
without  doubt,  are  killed  by  their  perilous  descent  from  the 
trees. 

There  are  several  other  harvest-flies  in  the  United  States, 
the  males  of  which  are  musical;  but  their  drums  are  concealed 
within  little  cavities  in  the  sides  of  the  first  abdominal  ring. 
One  of  these  is  found  in  Massachusetts,  and,  though  it  never 
appears  in  such  great  numbers  as  the  preceding  species,  it  is 


190  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

more  common  or  more  generally  met  with  throughout  the 
State.  It  may  be  called  the  dog-day  harvest-fly,  or  Cicada 
canicnlaris,  from  the  circumstance  of  its  invariably  appearing 
with  the  beginning  of  dog-days.  During  many  years  in  suc- 
cession, with  only  one  or  two  exceptions,  I  have  heard  this 
insect,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  July,  for  the  first  time  in  the 
season,  drumming  in  the  trees,  on  some  part  of  the  day  be- 
tween the  hours  of  ten  in  the  morning  and  two  in  the  after- 
noon. It  is  true  that  all  do  not  muster  on  the  same  day;  for 
at  first  they  are  few  in  number,  and  scattered  at  great  distances 
from  each  other;  new-comers,  however,  are  added  from  day  to 
day,  till,  in  a  short  time,  almost  every  tree  seems  to  have  its 
musician,  and  the  rolling  of  their  drums  may  be  heard  in  every 
direction.  This  circumstance,  however,  does  not  render  it  any 
the  less  remarkable  that  the  first  of  the  band  should  keep  their 
appointed  time  with  such  extreme  regularity.  The  dog-day 
harvest-fly  measures  about  one  inch  and  six  tenths  from  the 
front  to  the  tips  of  the  wing-covers,  which,  when  spread,  ex- 
pand about  three  inches.  Its  body  is  black  on  the  upper  side ; 
the  under  side  of  the  head,  the  breast,  and  the  sides  of  the 
belly  are  covered  with  a  white  substance  resembling  flour; 
the  top  of  the  head  and  the  thorax  are  ornamented  with  olive- 
green  lines  and  characters,  one  of  which,  in  the  shape  of  the 
letter  W,  is  very  conspicuous;  the  legs,  and  the  front  edge  and 
principal  veins  of  the  wing-covers  and  of  the  wings  are  also 
green,  and  there  is  a  dusky  zigzag  spot  on  the  little  cross-veins 
near  the  tip  of  the  wing-covers;  and  the  valves  beneath  the 
body  of  the  males  are  wider  than  long.  This  species  has 
heretofore  been  mistaken  for  the  Cicada  pruinosa,  or  frosted 
harvest-fly,  described  by  Mr.  Say,  which  is  found  in  the  Middle 
States,  measures  two  inches  to  the  tips  of  the  wing-covers,  has 
a  white  spot  each  side  of  the  base  of  the  abdomen,  a  second 
on  the  middle  of  the  sides,  and  a  third  near  to  the  tip,  and  has 
the  valves  of  the  males  longer  than  wide.*     I  am  not  aware 

*  The  form  and  proportions  of  the  abdominal  valves  have  decided  me  to 
separate  the  canicularis  from  Mr.  Say's  pruinosa,  although,  with  the  exception 
of  their  difference  in  size,  they  present  no  other  constant  characters  which  will 
invariably  serve  to  distinguish  them  from  each  other. 


HEMIPTERA.  191 

that  the  females  of  the  dog-day  harvest-fly  prefer  to  lay  their 
eggs  in  one  rather  than  in  another  kind  of  tree;  for  I  have 
taken  the  pupae  emerging  from  the  ground  beneath  cherry, 
maple,  and  elm  trees,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  could  not 
have  travelled  far  from  the  trees  upon  which,  when  young,  they 
were  hatched,  and  upon  the  trunks  of  which  they  finally  leave 
their  vacant  shells.  These  have  much  the  same  form  and 
appearance  as  the  pupa-shells  of  the  seventeen-year  harvest- 
fly,  but  are  considerably  larger.  Some  individuals  of  this 
species  continue  with  us  as  late  as  the  end  of  September.  As 
they  are  not  very  numerous,  the  injury  sustained  by  the  trees 
from  their  punctures  is  comparatively  small. 

The  other  harvest-flies  of  this  country  have  only  t^vo  eyelets, 
and  are  not  furnished  with  musical  instruments;  but  they 
enjoy  the  faculty  of  leaping,  which  the  Cicadas  do  not.  This 
faculty  does  not,  as  in  the  grasshoppers  and  other  leaping 
insects,  result  from  an  enlargement  of  their  hindmost  thighs, 
which  do  not  differ  much  in  thickness  from  the  others ;  but  is 
owing  to  the  length  of  their  hindmost  shanks,  or  to  the  bristles 
and  spines  with  which  these  parts  are  clothed  and  tipped. 
These  spines  serve  to  fix  the  hind  legs  securely  to  the  surface, 
and,  when  the  insect  suddenly  unbends  its  legs,  its  body  is 
launched  forward  in  the  air.  Some  of  these  harvest-flies, 
when  assisted  by  their  wings,  will  leap  to  the  distance  of  five 
or  six  feet,  which  is  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  times 
their  own  length;  in  the  same  proportion,  "a  man  of  ordinary 
stature  should  be  able  at  once  to  vault  through  tlie  air  to  the 
distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile."  Some  of  these  leaping  har- 
vest-flies have  the  face  nearly  vertical,  and  the  thorax  very  large, 
tapering  to  a  point  behind,  covering  the  whole  of  the  upper  side 
of  the  body,  and  overtopping  even  the  head,  which  is  not  visible 
from  above.  These  belong  chiefly  to  the  genus  3Ie?nbracis,  to 
which  allusion  has  already  been  made ;  and,  as  they  are  found 
mostly  on  the  limbs  of  trees  and  shrubs,  they  may  receive  the 
name  of  tree-hoppers.*     In  others  the  face  slopes  downwards 


*  Mr.  Rcnnie,  in  the  "Library  of  Entertaining  Knowledge,"  has  misapplied 
this  name  to  the  Cicadas,  -which  do  not  leap. 


192  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

towards  the  breast,  the  thorax  is  of  moderate  size,  and  does  not 
extend  much,  if  at  all,  beyond  the  base  of  the  wing-covers,  and 
does  not  conceal  the  head  when  viewed  from  above.  Some  of 
the  insects,  with  this  small-sized  thorax,  are  familiarly  called, 
in  English  works,  cuckoo-spit  and  frog-hoppers,  and  to  others 
mav  be  applied  the  name  of  leaf-hoppers,  because  they  live 
mostly  on  the  leaves  of  plants. 

The  thorax  differs  very  much  in  shape  in  different  kinds  of 
tree-hoppers  (Membracidid.e),  and  the  variations  of  this  part 
are  productive  of  many  odd  forms  among  these  insects,  and 
particularly  in  foreign  species.  Among  the  species  inhabiting 
Massachusetts,  there  are  some  in  which  the  thorax  forms  a 
thin  and  high  arched  crest  over  the  body,  as  in  Membracis 
camelus  of  Fabricius,  and  the  van  of  my  Catalogue.  To  these 
the  name  of  Membracis,  which  means  sharp-edged,  is  most 
applicable.  In  other  species  {3L  emarginata  and  sinuata  of 
Fabricius,  and  concava  of  Say)  the  crest  of  the  thorax  is  deeply 
notched  on  the  top.  In  others  the  whole  of  the  thorax  is  not 
elevated  longitudinally  in  the  middle,  but  only  in  some  part; 
thus  M.  Ampelopsidis  has  an  oblong  square  crest  on  the  middle 
of  the  thorax ;  M.  bimaculata  of  Fabricius  and  univittata  of  my 
Catalogue  have  a  thin  horn-like  projection,  blunt,  however,  at 
the  end,  extending  obliquely  forwards  and  upwards  from  the 
fore  part  of  the  thorax ;  and  M.  binotata  and  latipcs  of  Say 
have  a  similarly  situated  horn,  narrower  however,  and  curved, 
so  as  to  give  to  the  insects,  when  viewed  sidewise,  the  shape 
of  a  bird ;  and,  lastly,  in  M.  bubalus  of  Fabricius,  diceros  of 
Say,  and  taurina  of  my  Catalogue,  the  ridge  of  the  thorax, 
viewed  from  above,  has  somewhat  the  shape  of  the  letter  T, 
becoming  broad  at  the  fore  part,  and  extending  outwards  on 
each  side  like  a  pair  of  short  thick  horns,  which  gave  rise  to 
the  foregoing  specific  names,  meaning  buffalo,  two-horned,  and 
kine-like. 

The  habits  of  some  of  the  tree-hoppers  are  presumed  to  be 
much  the  same  as  those  of  the  musical  harvest-flies,  for  they 
are  found  on  the  limbs  of  trees,  where  they  deposit  their  eggs, 
only  during  the  adult  state,  and  probably  pass  the  early  period 
of  their  existence  in  the  ground.     Others,  however,  are  known 


HEMIPTERA.  193 

to  live  and  undergo  all  their  changes  on  the  stems  of  plants. 
Among  the  former  is  our  largest  native  species,  the  two-spotted 
tree-hopper,  or  Membracis  hiniaculata*  of  Fabricius,  which  may- 
be found  in  great  abundance  on  the  limbs  of  the  locust-tree 
[Rohinia  psemlacada)  during  the  months  of  September  and 
October.  These,  as  well  as  other  tree-hoppers,  show  but  little 
activity  when  undisturbed,  remaining  without  motion  for  hours 
together  on  the  limbs  of  the  trees ;  but,  on  the  approach  of  the 
fingers,  they  leap  vigorously,  and,  spreading  their  wings  at  the 
same  time,  fly  to  another  limb  and  settle  there,  in  the  same 
position  as  before.  They  never  sit  across  the  limbs,  but  always 
in  the  direction  of  their  length,  with  the  head  or  fore  part  of 
the  body  towards  the  extremity  of  the  branches.  On  account 
of  their  peculiar  form,  which  is  that  of  a  thick  cone  with  a 
very  oblique  direction,  their  dark  color,  and  their  fixed  posture 
while  perching,  they  would  readily  be  mistaken  for  the  thorns 
of  the  tree,  a  circumstance  undoubtedly  intended  for  their 
preservation.  Other  instances  have  been  mentioned  displaying 
proofs  of  equal  wisdom  in  the  formation  of  insects.  Thus,  in 
the  leaf-insects,  grasshoppers,  and  walking  sticks,  which  live  in 
trees,  the  latter  exactly  simulating  a  little  twig  in  appearance, 
and  the  others  having  the  form  and  color  of  leaves,  their  re- 
semblance to  the  objects  among  which  they  have  been  destined 
to  live,  has  doubtless  been  given  to  them  with  the  express 
^design  of  screening  them  from  their  enemies  of  the  feathered 
race.  Many  other  examples  of  the  same  kind  might  be  men- 
tioned, did  time  and  the  limits  of  my  subject  warrant;  but 
these  alone  suffice  to  show  that  special  provision  has  been 
wisely  made  in  the  construction  of  certain  defenceless  animals 
with  a  view  to  secure  them  from  observation.  Surely  insects, 
the  most  despised  of  God's  creation,  are  not  unworthy  our 
study,  since  they  are  objects  of  His  care  and  subjects  of  a 
special  providence.     But  to  return  to  our  locust  tree-hopper, 


*  Fabricius  describes  the  male  only  under  this  name ;  the  female  is  his  Mem- 
bracis acuminata.  This  species  belongs  to  Professor  Germar's  new  genus  Ilemi' 
ptycha. 

25 


194  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

which  remains  to  be  described;  —  it  measures  about  half  an 
inch  from  the  tip  of  the  horn  to  the  end  of  the  body;  the  male 
is  blackish  above,  with  a  long  yellow  spot  on  each  side  of  the 
back ;  and  the  female  is  ash-colored,  and  without  spots.  While 
on  the  trees,  these  insects,  though  perfectly  still,  are  not  unem- 
ployed; but  pvTncture  the  bark  with  their  sharp  and  slender 
beaks,  and  imbibe  the  sap  for  nourishment  The  female  also 
appears  to  commit  her  eggs  to  the  protection  of  the  tree,  being 
furnished  with  a  piercer  beneath  the  extremity  of  her  body, 
with  which  to  make  suitable  perforations  in  the  branches.  As 
I  have  never  seen  the  young  on  these  trees,  I  presume  that,  as 
soon  as  they  are  hatched,  they  make  their  way  to  the  ground, 
and  remain  under  the  surface  of  the  soil,  sucking  the  sap  from 
the  roots  of  plants,  until  they  are  about  to  enter  upon  their 
last  period  of  existence,  when  they  crawl  up  the  trunks  of  the 
trees,  throw  off  their  coats,  and  appear  in  the  perfect  or  winged 
state.  From  the  great  numbers  of  these  tree-hoppers  which 
exist  in  certain  seasons,  the  locust-trees  undoubtedly  suffer 
much,  not  only  in  consequence  of  the  quantity  of  sap  abstracted 
from  their  branches,  but  from  the  numerous  punctures  made 
by  the  insects  in  obtaining  it  and  in  laying  their  eggs. 

The  oak-tree  is  attacked  by  another  species,  the  white-lined 
tree-hopper  (M.  univittata),  w^hich  may  be  found  upon  it  during 
the  month  of  July.  It  is  about  four  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length ; 
the  thorax  is  brown,  has  a  short  obtuse  horn  extending  ob- 
liquely upwards  from  its  fore  part,  and  there  is  a  white  line  on 
the  back,  extending  from  the  top  of  the  horn  to  the  hinder 
extremity.     * 

The  common  creeper  {Ampelopsis  qvinqnefolia)  is  inhabited 
by  a  tree-hopper,  which  has  an  oblong  square  and  thin  eleva- 
tion or  crest  on  the  middle  of  the  thorax.  Its  body  is  usually 
of  a  reddish  ash-color,  and  the  thorax  is  ornamented  with  three 
reddish  brown  bands,  one  of  which  is  above  the  head  and  ex- 
tends transversely  between  the  lateral  projecting  angles  of  the 
thorax,  the  second  is  a  short  and  oblique  line  on  each  side  of 
the  front  part  of  the  crest,  and  the  third  is  also  oblique,  and 
begins  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  thorax,  and  passes  obliquely 


HEMIPTERA.  195 

forwards  on  each  side  to  the  top  of  the  hind  part  of  the  crest. 
This  species  may  be  called  Membracis  Ampelopsidis*  from  the 
plant  on  which  it  is  found  in  the  perfect  state.  The  young 
appear  to  live  in  the  earth  till  they  are  fully  grown  and  have 
acquired  the  rudiments  of  wing-covers  and  wings,  or  have 
become  pupae,  after  which  they  are  seen  ascending  the  stems 
of  the  creeper,  on  which  they  change  their  skins  for  the  last 
time.     This  occurs  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  June. 

There  is  a  little  tree-hopper,  which  is  found  during  the 
months  of  July  and  August  on  the  wax-work,  or  Celastrus 
scandens,  accompanied  usually  by  its  young.  When  fully 
grown  it  is  nearly  three  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length,  including 
the  horn  of  the  thorax ;  is  of  a  dusky  brown  color,  with  two 
yellowish  spots  on  the  ridge  of  the  back;  and  the  first  four 
shanks  are  exceedingly  broad  and  flat.  It  is  the  two-spotted 
tree-hopper,  or  Membracis  binotata  of  Say.  When  seen  side- 
wise  it  presents  a  profile  much  like  that  of  a  bird,  the  head  and 
neck  of  which  are  represented  by  the  curved  projecting  horn  of 
the  thorax ;  and  a  group  of  these  little  tree-hoppers,  of  various 
sizes,  clustered  together  on  a  stem  of  the  wax-work,  may  be 
likened  to  a  flock  of  old  and  young  partridges.  They  appear 
to  pass  through  all  their  transformations  on  the  plant,  are  fond 
of  society,  and  sit  close  together,  with  their  heads  all  in  the 
same  direction. 

Tr£e-hoppers  are  often  surrounded  by  ants,  for  the  sake  of 
their  castings,  and  for  the  sap  which  oozes  from  the  punctures 
made  by  the  former,  of  which  the  ants  are  very  fond.  Those 
kinds,  that  live  on  the  stems  of  plants  from  the  time  when 
they  are  hatched  till  they  are  fully  grown,  are  very  closely 
attended  by  ants;  and,  as  from  their  constant  sucking  the 
young  become  often  wet,  their  careful  attendants,  the  ants, 
find  regular  employment  in  wiping  them  clean  and  dry  with 
their  antennae  and  tongues. 

The  remaining  Homopterous  insects  have  a  thorax  of  mod- 
erate size,  not  tapering  to  a  point  behind,  and  not  covering 
the  whole  body  as  in  the  preceding  species.     Their  heads  are 

*  It  is  the  Membracis  Cisti  of  my  Catalogue. 


196  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

visible  from  above,  and  the  face  slopes  downwards  towards 
the  breast. 

Here  may  be  arranged  the  singular  insects  called  frog- 
hoppers  (Cercopidid.e),  which  pass  their  whole  lives  on  plants, 
on  the  stems  of  which  their  eggs  are  laid  in  the  autumn.  The 
following  summer  they  are  hatched,  and  the  young  immedi- 
ately perforate  the  bark  with  their  beaks,  and  begin  to  imbibe 
the  sap.  They  take  in  such  quantities  of  this,  that  it  oozes 
out  of  their  bodies  continually,  in  the  form  of  little  bubbles, 
which  soon  completely  cover  up  the  insects.  They  thus  re- 
main entirely  buried  and  concealed  in  large  masses  of  foam, 
until  they  have  completed  their  final  transformation,  on  which 
account  the  names  of  cuckoo-spittle,  frog-spittle,  and  frog- 
hoppers  have  been  applied  to  them.  We  have  several  species 
of  these  frog-hoppers  in  Massachusetts,  and  the  spittle,  with 
which  they  are  sheltered  from  the  sun  and  air,  may  be  seen  in 
great  abundance,  during  the  summer,  on  the  stems  of  our 
alders  and  willows.  In  the  perfect  state  they  are  not  thus 
protected,  but  are  found  on  the  plants,  in  the  latter  part  of 
summer,  fully  grown  and  preparing  to  lay  their  eggs.  In  this 
state  they  possess  the  power  of  leaping  in  a  still  more  remark- 
able degree  than  the  tree-hoppers;  and,  for  this  purpose,  the 
tips  of  their  hind  shanks  are  surrounded  with  little  spines,  and 
the  first  two  joints  of  their  feet  have  a  similar  coronet  of  spines 
at  their  extremities.  Their  thorax  narrows  a  little  behind,  and 
projects  somewhat  between  the  bases  of  the  wing-covers ;  their 
bodies  are  rather  short,  and  their  wing-covers  are  almost  hori- 
zontal and  quite  broad  across  the  middle,  which,  with  the 
shortness  of  their  legs,  gives  them  a  squat  appearance.* 

The  leaf-hoppers  (Tettigoniad.e)  leap  almost  as  well  as 
the  spittle-insects  just  mentioned;  but  their  hind  legs  are 
longer,  are  not  surrounded  with  coronets  of  short  spines,  but 
are  three  sided,  and  generally  fringed  on  two  of  their  edges 

*  The  following  species  are  found  in  Massachusetts,  namely :  Cercopis  igni- 
pecta  of  my  Catalogue,  and  the  parallela,  quadrangularis,  and  obtusa,  of  Say. 
The  last  three  belong  to  Germar's  genus  Aphrophora,  which  means  spume- 
bearer.  Cercopis,  which  may  be  translated  impostor,  was  applied  by  the  Greeks 
to  a  small  Cicada. 


HEMIPTERA.  197 

with  numerous  long  and  slender  spines,  which  contribute,  like 
the  coronets  of  the  frog-hoppers,  to  fix  their  shanks  firmly 
when  they  are  about  to  leap.  The  leaf-hoppers  have  been 
divided,  by  Professor  Germar  and  other  entomologists,  into 
many  genera,  according  to  the  structure  of  their  legs,  the 
situation  of  the  eyelets,  and  the  form  of  the  head ;  but  we  may 
retain  them,  without  inconvenience,  in  the  genus  Tettigonia^ 
proposed  for  them  by  Geoffroy,  or  rather  adopted  from  the 
ancient  Greeks,  who  gave  this  name  to  the  small  kinds  of 
harvest-flies,  calling  the  larger  ones  Tettix.  The  Tettigonians, 
or  leaf-hoppers,  have  the  head  and  thorax  somewhat  like  those 
of  frog-hoppers,  but  their  bodies  are,  in  general,  proportionally 
longer,  not  so  broad  across  the  middle,  and  not  so  much  flat- 
tened. The  head,  as  seen  from  above,  is  broad,  and  either 
crescent-shaped,  semicircular,  or  even  extended  forwards  in  the 
form  of  a  triangle;  its  upper  side  is  more  or  less  flattened,  and 
the  face  slopes  downwards  towards  the  breast  at  an  acute 
angle  with  the  top  of  the  head.  The  thorax  is  wider  than 
long,  with  the  front  margin  curving  forwards,  the  hind  margin 
transverse,  or  not  extended  between  the  wing-covers,  which 
space  is  filled  by  a  pretty  large  triangular  sctftel  or  escutcheon. 
The  wing-covers  are  generally  opake,  rather  long  and  narrow, 
and  more  or  less  inclined  at  the  sides  of  the  body,  not  flat 
however,  but  moulded  somewhat  to  the  form  of  the  body,  and 
the  wings  are  rather  shorter  and  broader,  not  netted  like  those 
of  the  tree-hoppers,  but  strengthened  by  a  few  longitudinal 
veins.  The  eyes,  which  are  distant  from  each  other,  and  placed 
at  the  sides  of  the  head,  are  pretty  large,  but  flattish,  and  not 
globular  as  in  the  Cicadas ;  and  the  eyelets,  which  are  rarely 
wanting,  vary  in  their  situation,  being  sometimes  on  the  top 
and  sometimes  below  the  front  edge  of  the  head.  Notwith- 
standing the  small  size  of  most  of  these  insects,  they  are 
deserving  our  attention  on  account  of  their  beauty,  delicacy, 
and  surprising  agility,  as  well  as  for  the  injury  sustained  by 
vegetation  from  them. 

It  is  stated  by  the  late  IV'Ir.  Fessenden,  in  the  "  New  Ameri- 
can Gardener,"  that  some  persons  in  this  country  have  entirely 
"abandoned  their  grape-vines"  in  consequence  of  the  depreda- 


198  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

tions  of  a  small  insect,  which,  for  many  years,  was  supposed 
to  be  the  vine-frettcr  of  Europe.  It  is  not,  however,  the  same 
insect,  but  is  a  leaf-hopper,  and  was  first  described  by  me  in 
the  year  1831,  in  the  eighth  volume  of  the  "  Encyclopaedia 
Americana,"*  under  the  name  of  Tettig'onia  Vitis.  In  its 
perfect  state  it  measures  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length.  It 
is  of  a  pale  yellow  or  straw  color;  there  are  two  little  red  lines 
on  the  head;  the  back  part  of  the  thorax,  the  scutel,  the  base 
of  the  wing-covers,  and  a  broad  band  across  their  middle,  arc 
scarlet;  the  tips  of  the  wing-covers. are  blackish,  and  there  are 
some  little  red  lines  between  the  broad  band  and  the  tips. 
The  head  is  crescent-shaped  above,  and  the  eyelets  are  situ- 
ated just  below  the  ridge  of  the  front.  The  vine-hoppers,  as 
they  may  be  called,  inhabit  the  foreign  and  the  native  grape- 
vines, on  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves  of  which  they  may 
be  found  during  the  greater  part  of  the  summer ;  for  they  pass 
through  all  their  changes  on  the  vines.  They  make  their  first 
appearance  on  the  leaves  in  June,  when  they  are  very  small 
and  not  provided  with  wings,  being  then  in  the  larva  state. 
During  most  of  the  time  they  remain  perfectly  quiet,  with 
their  beaks  thru^  into  the  leaves  from  which  they  derive  their 
nourishment  by  suction.  If  disturbed,  however,  they  leap 
from  one  leaf  to  another  with  great  agility.  As  they  increase 
in  size  they  have  occasion  frequently  to  change  their  skins, 
and  great  numbers  of  their  empty  cast  skins,  of  a  white  color, 
will  be  found,  throughout  the  summer,  adhering  to  the  under 
sides  of  the  leaves  and  upon  the  ground  beneath  the  vines. 
When  arrived  at  maturity,  which  generally  occurs  during  the 
month  of  August,  they  are  still  more  agile  than  before,  making 
use  of  their  delicate  wings  as  well  as  their  legs  in  their  motions 
from  place  to  place;  and,  when  the  leaves  are  agitated,  they 
leap  and  fly  from  them  in  swarms,  but  soon  alight  and  begin 
again  their  destructive  operations.  The  infested  leaves  at 
length  become  yellow,  sickly,  and  prematurely  dry,  and  give  to 
the  vine  at  midsummer  the  aspect  it  naturally  assumes  on  the 
approach  of  winter.     But  this  is  not  the  only  injury  arising 

*  Article  Locust,  p.  43. 


HEMIPTERA.  199 

from  the  exhausting  punctures  of  the  vine-hoppers.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  interruption  of  the  important  functions  of  the 
leaves,  the  plant  itself  languishes,  the  stem  does  not  increase 
in  size,  very  little  new  wood  is  formed,  or,  in  the  language  of 
the  gardeners,  the  canes  do  not  ripen  well,  the  fruit  is  stunted 
and  mildews,  and,  if  the  evil  be  allowed  to  go  on  unchecked, 
in  a  few  years  the  vines  become  exhausted,  barren,  and  worth- 
less. In  the  autumn  the  vine-hoppers  desert  the  vines,  and 
retire  for  shelter  during  the  coming  winter  beneath  fallen  leaves 
and  among  the  decayed  tufts  and  roots  of  grass,  where  they 
remain  till  the  following  spring,  when  they  emerge  from  their 
winter-quarters,  and  in  due  time  deposit  their  eggs  upon  the 
leaves  of  the  vine,  and  then  perish.  As  the  vine-hoppers  are 
much  more  hardy  and  more  vivacious  than  the  European  vine- 
fretters  or  plant-lice,  the  applications  that  have  proved  destruc- 
tive to  the  latter  are  by  no  means  so  efficacious  with  the  former. 
Fumigations  with  tobacco,  beneath  a  movable  tent  placed  over 
the  trellisses,  answer  the  purpose  completely.*  They  require 
frequent  repetition,  and  considerable  care  is  necessary  to  pre- 
vent the  escape  and  ensure  the  destruction  of  the  insects; 
circumstances  which  render  the  discovery  of  some  more  expe- 
ditious method  an  object  to  those  whose  vineyards  are  extensive. 
There  is  another  little  leaf-hopper  that  has  been  mistaken 
for  a  vine-fretter  or  Thrips,  1  hough  never  found  upon  the  grape- 
vine. It  lives  upon  the  leaves  of  rose-bushes,  and  is  very 
injurious  to  them.  In  its  perfect  state  it  is  rather  less  than 
three  twentieths  of  an  inch  long.  Its  body  is  yellowish  white, 
its  wing-covers  and  wings  are  white  and  transparent,  and  its 
eyes,  claws,  and  piercer  brown.  The  male  has  two  recurved 
appendages  at  the  tip  of  its  hind  body.  It  may  be  called 
Tettigonia  Rosce.^  Swarms  of  these  insects  may  be  found, 
in  various  stages  of  growth,  on  the  leaves  of  the  rose-bush, 
thrOugh  the  greater  part  of  summer,  and  even  in  winter  upon 

*  Scu  Fcsscnden's  "  New  American  Gardener,"  p.  299,  for  a  description  of  the 
tent  and  of  the  process  of  fumigation. 

t  This  insect  may  bo  the  ('Icada  Rosa  of  Linnajus,  or  lassus  Rosa  of  Fabri- 
cius.  It  belongs  to  Dr.  Fitch's  genus  Empua,  as  ulso  does  Teltijonia  Fahm.  The 
TvUijonia  Vilis  is  an  Erythroneura  of  the  same  author. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

housed  plants.  Their  numerous  cast  skins  may  be  seen  ad- 
hering to  the  lower  side  of  the  leaves.  They  pair  and  lay 
their  eggs  about  the  middle  of  June,  and  they  probably  live 
through  the  winter  in  the  perfect  state,  concealed  under  fallen 
leaves  and  rubbish  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Fumigations 
with  tobacco,  and  the  application  of  a  solution  of  whale-oil 
soap  in  water  with  a  syringe,  are  the  best  means  for  destroying 
these  leaf-hoppers. 

I  have  found  that  the  Windsor  bean,  a  variety  of  the  Vicia 
Faha  of  Linneeus,  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of  a  species  of  leaf- 
hopper,  particularly  during  dry  seasons,  and  when  cultivated 
in  light  soils.  In  the  early  part  of  summer  the  insects  are  so 
small  and  so  light  colored  that  they  easily  escape  observation, 
and  it  is  not  till  the  beginning  of  July,  when  the  beans  are 
usually  large  enough  to  be  gathered  for  the  table,  that  the 
ravages  of  the  insects  lead  to  their  discovery.  A  large  pro- 
portion of  the  pods  will  then  be  found  to  be  rough,  and  covered 
with  little  dark  colored  dots  or  scars,  and  many  of  them  seem 
to  be  unusually  spongy  and  not  well  filled.  On  opening  these 
spongy  pods,  we  find  that  the  beans  have  not  grown  to  their 
proper  size,  and  if  they  are  left  on  the  plant  they  cease  to 
enlarge.  At  the  same  time  the  leaves,  pods,  and  stalks  are 
more  or  less  infested  with  little  leaf-hoppers,  not  fully  grown, 
and  unprovided  wdth  ^vings.  Usually  between  the  end  of  July 
and  the  middle  of  August  the  insects  come  to  their  growth 
and  acquire  their  wings;  but  the  mischief  at  this  time  is 
finished,  and  the  plants  have  suffered  so  much  that  all  pros- 
pect of  a  second  crop  of  beans,  from  new  shoots  produced 
after  the  old  stems  are  cut  down,  is  frustrated.  These  leaf- 
hoppers  have  the  same  agility  in  their  motions,  and  apparently 
the  same  habits,  as  the  vine-hoppers;  but  in  the  perfect  state 
they  are  longer,  more  slender,  and  much  more  delicate.  They 
are  of  a  pale  green  color;  the  wing-covers  and  wdngs  *are 
transparent  and  colorless;  and  the  last  joint  of  the  hind  feet  is 
bluish.  The  head,  as  seen  from  above,  is  crescent-shaped,  and 
the  two  eyelets  are  situated  on  its  front  edge.  The  male  has 
two  long  recurved  feathery  threads  at  the  extremity  of  the 
body.     The  length  of  this  species  is  rather   more  than  one 


HEMIPTERA.  201 

tenth,  but  less  than  three  twentieths  of  an  inch.  It  may  be 
called  Tettig-onia  Fahcc.  Probably  it  passes  the  winter  in  the 
same  way  as  the  vine-hopper. 

2.     Plant-lice.     [Aphididcc.) 

The  Aphidians,  in  which  group  we  include  the  insects 
commonly  known  by  the  name  of  plant-lice,  differ  remarkably 
from  all  the  foregoing  in  their  appearance,  their  formation, 
and  their  manner  of  increase.  Their  bodies  are  very  soft,  and 
usually  more  or  less  oval.  The  females  are  often  without 
wing-covers  and  wings;  and  the  former,  when  they  exist,  do 
not  differ  in  texture  from  the  wings,  but  are  usually  much 
larger  and  more  useful  in  flight.  We  may  therefore  cease  to 
call  these  parts  wing-covers,  in  all  the  remaining  insects  of  this 
order,  and  apply  to  them  the  name  of  upper  wings. 

Some  of  the  Aphidians  have  the  power  of  leaping,  like  the 
leaf-hoppers,  from  which,  however,  they  differ  in  having  very 
large  and  transparent  upper  wings,  which  cover  the  sides  of 
the  body  like  a  very  steep  roof;  and  their  antennae  are  pretty 
long  and  thread-like,  and  are  tipped  with  two  short  bristles  at 
the  end.  Both  sexes,  when  arrived  at  maturity,  are  winged, 
and  some  of  the  females  are  provided  w^ith  a  kind  of  awl  at 
the  end  of  the  body,  very  different,  however,  from  the  piercers 
of  the  foregoing  insects.  With  this  they  prick  the  leaves  in 
which  they  deposit  their  eggs,  and  the  wounds  thus  made 
sometimes  produce  little  excrescences  or  swellings  on  the 
plant.  These  leaping  plant-lice  belong  to  a  genus  called 
Psi/lla,  which  was  the  Greek  name  for  a  small  jumping  in- 
sect. They  are  by  no  means  so  prolific  as  the  other  plant-lice, 
for  ordinarily  they  produce  only  one  brood  in  the  year.  They 
live  in  groups,  composed  of  about  a  dozen  individuals  each, 
upon  the  stems  and  leaves  of  plants,  the  juices  of  which  they 
imbibe  through  their  tubular  beaks.  The  young  are  often 
covered  with  a  substance  rescmblinj^  fine  cotton  arranarcd  in 
flakes.  This  is  the  case  with  some  which  are  found  on  the 
alder  and  birch  in  the  spring  of  the  year. 

Within  a  few  years,  a  kind  of  Psylla^  before  unknown  here, 
has  appeared  upon  pear-trees  in  the  western  parts  of  Connecti- 
26 


202  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

cut  and  of  Massachusetts,  particularly  in  the  valley  of  the 
Housatonic,  and  in  the  adjoining  counties  of  Dutchess  and 
Columbia  in  New  York.     It  was  first  made  known  to  me,  in 
December,  1848,  by  Dr.  Ovid  Plumb,  of  Salisbury,  Connecticut, 
and  it  is  the  subject  of  a  communication  in  the  "  American 
Agriculturist,"  for  January,  1849.     Since  that  time,  Dr.  Plumb 
has  favored  me  with  additional  observations,  and  an  account 
of  his  experiments  with  various  remedies,  and,  towards  the 
end  of  July,  1851,  a  brief  visit  to  Salisbury  gave  me  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  insects  in  a  living  condition,  and  in  the 
midst  of  their  operations  upon  the   trees.      This    Psylla,   or 
jumping  plant-louse,  is  one  of  the  kinds  whose  young  are 
naked,  or  not  covered  with  a  coat  of  cotton.     In  some  of  its 
forms  it  is  found  on  pear-trees  during  most  of  the  time  from 
May  to   October;  and  probably  two  if  not  more  broods  are 
produced  in  the  course  of  the  summer.     It  was  first  observed 
by  Dr.  Plumb  in  the  spring  of  1833,  on  some  imported  pear- 
trees,  which  had  been  set  the  year  before.     These  trees,  in  the 
autumn  after  they  were  planted,  wore  an  unhealthy  aspect, 
and  had  patches  of  a  blackish  rust  upon  their  branches.     Dur- 
ing the  second  summer,  these  trees  died ;  and  other  trees,  upon 
which  the  same  rusty  matter  was  found,  proved  to  be  infested 
with  the  same  insects.     Like  the  aphides,  or  plant-lice,  these 
insects  live  by  suction.     By  means  of   their  suckers,  which 
come  from  the  lower  side  of  the  head  near  the  breast,  they 
puncture  the  bark  of  the  twigs  and  small  branches,  and  imbibe 
the  sap.     They  soon  gorge  themselves  to  such  a  degree,  that 
the  fluid  issues  constantly  from  their  bodies  in  drops,  is  thrown 
over  the  surface  of  the  twigs,  and,  mingled  with  their  more 
solid  castings,  defiles  the  bark,  and  gives  it  the  blackish  color 
above  noticed.     Swarms  of  flies  and  ants  upon  the  trees  are  a 
sure  indication  of  the   presence  of  these  sap-suckers,  being 
attracted  by  the  sweetish  fluid  thrown  out  by  them.     Young 
trees  suffer  excessively  by  the  attacks  of  these  insects,  nor  do 
old  trees  escape  without  injury  from  them.     In  consequence 
apparently  of  their  ravages  alone.  Dr.  Plumb  lost  several  hun- 
dred pear-trees  from  1834  to  1838  inclusive;  his  trees  have 
continued  to  sufl'er,  to  some  extent,  from  this  cause  since  that 


IIEMIPTERA.  203 

time;  and  he  informs  me  that  the  same  destructive  depreda- 
tions have  been  observed  in  all  the  adjacent  region.  On  the 
23d  of  July,  I  saw  these  insects  on  the  trees,  some  already- 
provided  with  wings,  and  others  advancing  towards  maturity. 
The  young  ones  were  of  a  dull  orange  yellow  color.  They 
were  short,  and  were  obtuse  behind,  and  had  little  wing-scales 
on  the  sides  of  their  bodies.  The  perfect,  or  winged  individu- 
als, were  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  long  from  the  forehead 
to  the  tips  of  the  closed  wings.  The  front  of  the  head  was 
notched  in  the  middle.  The  eyes  were  large  and  prominent. 
The  head  and  thorax  were  brownish  orange,  and  the  hind  body 
greenish.  Their  four  ample  wings  were  colorless  and  trans- 
parent, and  were  marked  with  a  few  dark  veins.  The  body  of 
the  female  is  pointed  at  the  end,  and  inclines  to  a  reddish  hue. 
The  pear-tree,  in  Europe,  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of  a  similar 
insect,  called  Psylla  Pyrii  the  pear-tree  Psylla.  The  European 
species  is  said  to  vary  in  color  at  different  ages,  and  in  different 
seasons  of  the  year,  being  of  a  dull  crimson  color,  shaded 
with  black  in  the  spring,  when  it  comes  forth  to  lay  its  eggs. 
Not  having  seen  any  of  our  pear-tree  Psyllce  in  their  spring 
dress,  I  cannot  say  whether  they  agree  with  those  of  Europe 
in  being  of  the  same  crimson  color  at  this  season  of  the  year. 
As,  however,  they  do  correspond  very  nearly  in  other  respects 
to  the  descriptions  given  of  the  European  species,  and  have 
precisely  the  same  destructive  habits,  and  as  they  were  first 
detected  upon  imported  pear-trees,  I  apprehend  that  they  were 
introduced  from  abroad,  and  that  they  will  prove  to  be  the 
same  species  as  the  European  Psylla  Pyri.  The  following 
particulars,  abridged  from  KoUar's  "  Treatise,"  if  confirmed  by 
future  observations,  will  serve  to  complete  the  history  of  the 
American  insect.  The  European  pear-tree  Psylla  comes  forth 
from  its  winter  retreat,  provided  with  wings,  as  soon  as  the 
buds  of  fruit  trees  begin  to  expand.  After  pairing,  the  female 
lays  her  eggs  in  great  numbers  near  each  other  on  the  young 
leaves  and  blossoms,  or  on  the  newly-formed  fruit  and  shoots. 
The  eggs  are  oblong,  yellowish,  and  look  somewhat  like  grains 
of  pollen.  The  young  insects  hatched  therefrom  resemble 
wingless   plant-lice,  and   are  of   a  dark  yellow  color.      They 


204  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

change  their  skins  and  color  repeatedly,  and  acquire  wing- 
scales,  or  rudimentary  wings.  They  then  fix  themselves  to 
the  bark  in  rows,  and  remain  sucking  the  sap  till  their  last 
change  approaches,  at  which  time  they  disperse  among  the 
leaves,  cast  off  their  skins,  and  appear  in  the  winged  form. 
When  considerable  numbers  attack  a  pear-tree,  the  latter  soon 
assumes  an  unhealthy  appearance,  its  growth  is  checked,  its 
leaves  and  shoots  curl  up,  and  the  tree  dies  by  degrees,  if  not 
freed  from  its  troublesome  guests.  Kollar  recommends  brush- 
ing off  the  insects,  when  young,  with  a  brush  of  hog's  bristles, 
and  crushing  under  foot  those  that  fall ;  and  also  advises  to 
search  for  the  winged  females  in  the  spring,  and  destroy  them 
by  hand.  Such  a  process  would  be  altogether  too  tedious 
and  uncertain  here.  I  would  therefore  suggest  the  expedi- 
ency of  washing  the  twigs  with  a  brush  dipped  in  a  mixture 
of  strong  soapsuds  and  flour  of  sulphur.  K  this  be  done 
before  the  buds  expand,  the  latter  will  not  be  injured  thereby, 
while  the  application  will  be  likely  to  deter  the  insects  from 
laying  their  eggs  on  the  tree.  A  weaker  application  of  the 
same,  or  the  common  solution  of  whale-oil  soap,  may  suffice 
to  kill  the  young  insects  after  they  have  fastened  themselves 
upon  the  bark.  If  the  latter  be  thrown  upon  the  trees  with  a 
syringe,  it  will  destroy  the  insects  on  the  leaves  also. 

Others,  both  sexes  of  which  are  also  winged,  have  long  and 
slender  bodies,  very  narrow  wings,  which  are  fringed  with  fine 
hairs,  and  lie  flatly  on  the  back  when  not  in  use.  They  are 
exceedingly  active  in  all  their  motions,  and  seem  to  leap  rather 
than  fly.  They  live  on  leaves,  flowers,  in  buds,  and  even  in 
the  crevices  of  the  bark  of  plants,  but  are  so  small  that  they 
readily  escape  notice,  the  largest  being  not  more  than  one 
tenth  of  an  inch  in  length.  These  minute  and  slender  insects 
belong  to  the  genus  Tlirips.  Their  punctures  appear  to  poison 
plants,  and  often  produce  deformities  in  the  leaves  and  blos- 
soms. The  peach-tree  sometimes  suffers  severely  from  their 
attacks,  as  well  as  from  those  of  the  true  plant-lice;  and  they 
are  found  beneath  the  leaves,  in  little  hollows  caused  by  their 
irritating  punctures.  The  same  applications  that  are  employed 
for  the  destruction  of  plant-lice  may  be  used  with  advantage 


HEMIPTERA.  205 

upon  plants  infested  with  the  Tlirips.  Mrs.  N.  G.  S.  Gage, 
formerly  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  much 
valuable  information  respecting  the  wheat-fly,  or  Cecidomyia 
Tritici,  has  discovered  another  pernicious  insect  in  the  ears  of 
growing  wheat.  It  seems  to  agree  with  the  accounts  of  the 
Tlirips  cerealium,  which  sometimes  infests  wheat,  in  Europe, 
to  a  great  extent.  This  insect,  in  its  larva  state,  is  smaller 
than  the  wheat  maggot,  is  orange-colored,  and  is  provided 
with  six  legs,  two  antennte,  and  a  short  beak,  and  is  very 
nimble  in  its  motions.  It  is  supposed  to  suck  out  the  juices 
of  the  seed,  thus  causing  the  latter  to  shrink,  and  become  what 
the  English  farmers  call  pungled.  This  little  pest  may  proba- 
bly be  destroyed  by  giving  the  grain  a  thorough  coating  of 
slacked  lime. 

Aphides,  or  plant-lice,  as  they  are  usually  called,  are  among 
the  most  extraordinary  of  insects.  They  are  found  upon 
almost  all  parts  of  plants,  the  roots,  stems,  young  shoots,  buds, 
and  leaves,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  plant  which  does  not  harbor 
one  or  two  kinds  peculiar  to  itself.  They  are,  moreover,  ex- 
ceedingly prolific,  for  Reaumur  has  proved  that  one  individual, 
in  five  generations,  may  become  the  progenitor  of  nearly  six 
thousand  millions  of  descendants.  It  often  happens  that  the 
succulent  extremities  and  stems  of  plants  will,  in  an  incredibly 
short  space  of  time,  become  completely  coated  with  a  living 
mass  of  these  little  lice.  These  are  usually  wingless,  consisting 
of  the  young  and  of  the  females  only ;  for  winged  individuals 
appear  only  at  particular  seasons,  usually  in  the  autumn,  but 
sometimes  in  the  spring,  and  these  are  small  males  and  larger 
females.  After  pairing,  the  latter  lay  their  eggs  upon  or  near 
the  leaf-buds  of  the  plant  upon  which  they  live,  and,  together 
with  the  males,  soon  afterwards  perish. 

The  genus  to  which  plant-lice  belong  is  called  Aphis,  from  a 
Greek  word  which  signifies  to  exhaust.  The  following  are  the 
principal  characters  by  which  they  may  be  distinguished  from 
other  insects.  Their  bodies  are  short,  oval,  and  soft,  and  are 
furnished  at  the  hinder  extremity  with  two  little  tubes,  knobs, 
or  pores,  from  which  exude  almost  constantly  minute  drops  of 
a  fluid  as  sweet  as  honey;  their  heads  are  small,  their  beaks 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

are  very  long  and  tubular,  their  eyes  are  globular,  but  they 
have  not  eyelets,  their  antennae  are  long,  and  usually  taper 
towards  the  extremity,  and  their  legs  are  also  long  and  very 
slender,  and  there  are  only  two  joints  to  their  feet.  Their 
upper  are  nearly  twice  as  large  as  the  lower  wings,  are  much 
longer  than  the  body,  are  gradually  widened  towards  the  ex- 
tremity, and  nearly  triangular;  they  are  almost  vertical  when 
at  rest,  and  cover  the  body  above  like  a  very  sharp-ridged  roof. 

The  winged  plant-lice  provide  for  a  succession  of  their  race 
by  stocking  the  plants  with  eggs  in  the  autumn,  as  before 
stated.  These  are  hatched  in  due  time  in  the  spring,  and  the 
young  lice  immediately  begin  to  pump  up  sap  from  the  tender 
leaves  and  shoots,  increase  rapidly  in  size,  and  in  a  short  time 
come  to  maturity.  In  this  state,  it  is  found  that  the  brood, 
without  a  single  exception,  consists  wholly  of  females,  which 
are  wingless,  but  are  in  a  condition  immediately  to  continue 
their  kind.  Their  young,  however,  are  not  hatched  from  eggs, 
but  arc  produced  alive,  and  each  female  may  be  the  mother  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  young  lice  in  the  course  of  a  single  day. 
The  plant-lice  of  this  second  generation  are  also  wingless 
females,  which  grow  up  and  have  their  young  in  due  time ; 
and  thus  brood  after  brood  is  produced,  even  to  the  seventh 
generation  or  more,  without  the  appearance  or  intervention, 
throughout  the  whole  season,  of  a  single  male.  This  extraor- 
dinary kind  of  propagation  ends  in  the  autumn  with  the  birth 
of  a  brood  of  males  and  females,  which  in  due  time  acquire 
wings  and  pair;  eggs  are  then  laid  by  these  females,  and  with 
the  death  of  these  winged  individuals,  which  soon  follows,  the 
race  becomes  extinct  for  the  season. 

Plant-lice  seem  to  love  society,  and  often  herd  together  in 
dense  masses,  each  one  remaining  fixed  to  the  plant  by  means 
of  its  long  tubular  beak;  and  they  rarely  change  their  places 
till  they  have  exhausted  the  part  first  attacked.  The  attitudes 
and  manners  of  these  little  creatures  are  exceedingly  amusing. 
When  disturbed,  like  restive  horses,  they  begin  to  kick  and 
sprawl  in  the  most  ludicrous  manner.  They  may  be  seen,  at 
times,  suspended  by  their  beaks  alone,  and  throwing  up  their 
legs  as  if  in  a  high  frolic,  but  too  much  engaged  in  sucking  to 


HEMIPTERA.  207 

withdraw  their  beaks.  As  they  take  in  great  quantities  of  sap, 
they  would  soon  become  gorged  if  they  did  not  get  rid  of  the 
superabundant  fluid  through  the  two  little  tubes  or  pores  at 
the  extremity  of  their  bodies.  When  one  of  them  gets  running- 
over  full,  it  seems  to  communicate  its  uneasy  sensations,  by  a 
kind  of  animal  magnetism,  to  the  whole  flock,  upon  which 
they  all,  with  one  accord,  jerk  upwards  their  bodies,  and  eject 
a  shower  of  the  honeyed  fluid.  The  leaves  and  bark  of  plants 
much  infested  by  these  insects  are  often  completely  sprinkled 
over  with  drops  of  this  sticky  fluid,  which,  on  drying,  become 
dark  colored,  and  greatly  disfigure  the  foliage.  This  appear- 
ance has  been  denominated  honey-dew;  but  there  is  another 
somewhat  similar  production  observable  on  plants,  after  very 
dry  weather,  which  has  received  the  same  name,  and  consists 
of  an  extravasation  or  oozing  of  the  sap  from  the  leaves.  We 
are  often  apprised  of  the  presence  of  plant-lice  on  plants  grow- 
ing in  the  open  air  by  the  ants  ascending  and  descending  the 
stems.  By  observing  the  motions  of  the  latter  we  soon  ascer- 
tain that  the  sweet  fluid  discharged  by  the  lice  is  the  occasion 
of  these  visits.  The  stems  swarm  with  slim  and  hungry  ants 
running  upwards,  and  others  lazily  descending  with  their  bel- 
lies swelled  almost  to  bursting.  When  arrived  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  plant-lice,  they  greedily  wipe  up  the  sweet  fluid 
which  has  distilled  from  them,  and,  when  this  fails,  they  station 
themselves  among  the  lice,  and  catch  the  drops  as  they  fall. 
The  lice  do  not  seem  in  the  least  annoyed  by  the  ants,  but  live 
on  the  best  possible  terms  with  them;  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  ants,  though  unsparing  of  other  insects  weaker  than  them- 
selves, upon  which  they  frequently  prey,  treat  the  plant-lice 
with  the  utmost  gentleness,  caressing  them  with  their  antennae, 
and  apparently  inviting  them  to  give  out  the  fluid  by  patting 
their  sides.  Nor  are  the  lice  inattentive  to  these  solicitations, 
when  in  a  state  to  gratify  the  ants,  for  whose  sake  they  not 
only  seem  to  shorten  the  periods  of  the  discharge,  but  actually 
yield  the  fluid  when  thus  pressed.  A  single  louse  has  been 
known  to  give  it  drop  by  drop  successively  to  a  number  of 
ants,  that  were  waiting  anxiously  to  receive  it.  Wiien  the 
plant-lice  cast  their  skins,  the  ants  instantly  remove  the  latter, 


208  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  ^^EGETATION. 

nor  will  they  allow  any  dirt  or  rubbish  to  remain  upon  or  about 
them.  They  even  protect  them  from  their  enemies,  and  run 
about  them  in  the  hot  sunshine  to  drive  away  the  little  ichneu- 
mon Hies  that  are  for  ever  hovering  near  to  deposit  their  eggs 
in  the  bodies  of  the  lice. 

Plant-lice  differ  very  much  in  form,  color,  clothing,  and  in  the 
length  of  the  honey-tubes.  Some  have  these  tubes  quite  long, 
as  the  rose-louse.  Aphis  Rosce,  which  is  green,  and  has  a  little 
conical  projection  or  stylet,  as  it  is  called,  at  the  extremity  of 
the  body,  between  the  two  honey-tubes.  The  cabbage-louse, 
Aphis  Brassiere^  has  also  long  honey-tubes,  but  its  body  is 
covered  with  a  whitish  mealy  substance.  This  species  is  very 
abundant  on  the  under  side  of  cabbage  leaves  in  the  month  of 
August.  The  largest  species  known  to  me  is  found  in  clusters 
beneath  the  limbs  of  the  pig-nut  hickory  ( Carija  porcina),  in 
all  stages  of  growth,  -from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  July. 
It  is  the  Aphis*  Carym  of  my  Catalogue.  Its  body,  in  the 
winged  state,  measures  one  quarter  of  an  inch  to  the  end  of 
the  abdomen,  and  above  four  tenths  of  an  inch  to  the  tips  of 
the  upper  wings,  which  expand  rather  more  than  seven  tenths 
of  an  inch.  It  has  no  terminal  stylet,  and  the  honey-tubes  are 
very  short.  Its  body  is  covered  with  a  bluish  white  substance 
like  the  bloom  of  a  plum,  with  four  rows  of  little  transverse 
black  spots  on  the  back;  the  top  of  the  thorax,  and  the  veins 
of  the  wings  are  black,  as  are  also  the  shanks,  the  feet,  and 
the  antennae,  which  are  clothed  with  black  hairs;  the  thighs 
are  reddish  brown.  This  species  sucks  the  sap  from  the  limbs 
and  not  from  the  leaves  of  the  hickory.  There  is  another  large 
species,  living  in  the  same  way  on  the  under  side  of  the 
branches  of  various  kinds  of  willows,  and  clustered  together 
in  great  numbers.  About  the  first  of  October  they  are  found 
in  the  winged  state.  The  body  measures  one  tenth  of  an  inch 
in  length,  and  the  wings  expand  about  four  tenths.  The  stylet 
is  wanting;  the  body  is  black  and  without  spots;  the  wings 
are  transparent,  but  their  veins,  the  short  honey-tubercles,  the 
third  joint  of  the  antennas,  and  the  legs,  are  tawny  yellow. 

*  It  probably  belongs  to  the  genus  Lachnus  of  lUigcr,  or  Cinara  of  Curtis. 


HEMIPTERA.  209 

This  species  cannot  be  identical  with  the  willow-louse,  Aphis 
Salicis  of  Linnaeus,  which  has  a  spotted  body ;  and  therefore 
I  propose  to  call  it  Aphis  Salicti,  the  plant-louse  of  willow 
groves.  When  crushed,  it  communicates  a  stain  of  a  reddish 
or  deep  orange  color. 

Some  plant-Hce  live  in  the  ground,  and  derive  their  nourish- 
ment from  the  roots  of  plants.  We  annually  lose  many  of 
our  herbaceous  plants,  if  cultivated  in  a  light  soil,  from  the 
exhausting  attacks  of  these  subterranean  lice.  Upon  pulling 
up  China  Asters,  which  seemed  to  be  perishing  from  no  visible 
cause,  I  have  found  hundreds  of  little  lice,  of  a  white  color, 
closely  clustered  together  on  the  roots.  I  could  never  discover 
any  of  them  that  were  winged,  and  therefore  conclude  from 
this  circumstance  as  well  as  from  their  peculiar  situation,  that 
they  never  acquire  wings.  Whether  these  are  of  the  same 
species  as  the  Aphis  radicum  of  Europe,  I  cannot  ascertain, 
as  no  sufficient  description  of  the  latter  has  ever  come  to  my 
notice.  These  little  lice  are  attended  by  ants,  which  generally 
make  their  nests  near  the  roots  of  the  plants,  so  as  to  have 
their  milch  kine,  as  the  plant-lice  have  been  called,  within  their 
own  habitations  ;  and,  in  consequence  of  the  combined  opera- 
tions of  the  lice  and  the  ants,  the  plants  wither  and  prematurely 
perish.  When  these  subterranean  lice  are  disturbed,  the  at- 
tendant ants  are  thrown  into  the  greatest  confusion  and  alarm ; 
they  carefully  take  up  the  lice  which  have  fallen  from  the  roots, 
and  convey  them  in  their  jaws  into  the  deep  recesses  of  their 
nests;  and  here  the  lice  still  contrive  to  live  upon  the  frag- 
ments of  the  roots  left  in  the  soil.  It  is  stated*  that  the  ants 
bestow  the  same  care  and  attention  upon  the  root-lice  as  upon 
their  own  offspring,  that  they  defend  them  from  the  attacks  of 
other  insects,  and  carry  them  about  in  their  mouths  to  change 
their  pasture;  and  that  they  pay  particular  attention  to  the 
eggs  of  the  lice,  frequently  moistening  them  with  their  tongues, 
and  in  fine  weather  bringing  them  to  the  surface  of  the  nest 
to  give  them  the  advantage  of  the  sun.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  sweet  fluid  supplied  in  abundance  by  these  lice  forms  the 

*  See  Kirby  and  Spence's  Introduction  to  Entomology,  Vol.  II.  pp.  91.  92. 

27 


SI©  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

chief  nutriment  both  of  the  ants  and  their  young,  which  is 
sufficient  to  account  for  their  solicitude  and  care  for  their  valu- 
able herds. 

The  peach-tree  suffers  very  much  from  the  attacks  of  plant- 
lice,  which  live  under  the  leaves,  causing  them  by  their  punc- 
tures to  become  thickened,  to  curl  or  form  hollows  beneath, 
and  corresponding  crispy  and  reddish  swellings  above,  and 
finally  to  perish  and  drop  off  prematurely.  Whether  our 
insect  is  the  same  as  the  European  Aphis  of  the  peach-tree 
[Aphis  Persicce  of  Sulzer)  I  cannot  determine,  for  the  want  of 
a  proper  description  of  the  latter. 

The  injuries  occasioned  by  plant-lice  are  much  greater  than 
would  at  first  be  expected  from  the  small  size  and  extreme 
weakness  of  the  insects ;  but  these  make  up  by  their  numbers 
what  they  want  in  strength  individually,  and  thus  become 
formidable  enemies  to  vegetation.  By  their  punctures,  and 
the  quantity  of  sap  which  they  di-aw  from  the  leaves,  the 
functions  of  these  important  organs  are  deranged  or  inter- 
rupted, the  food  of  the  plant,  which  is  there  elaborated  to 
nourish  the  stem  and  mature  the  fruit,  is  withdrawn,  before  it 
can  reach  its  proper  destination,  or  is  contaminated  and  left  in 
a  state  unfitted  to  supply  the  wants  of  vegetation.  Plants 
are  differently  affected  by  these  insects.  Some  wither  and 
cease  to  gi'ow,  their  leaves  and  stems  put  on  a  sickly  appear- 
ance, and  soon  die  from  exhaustion.  Others,  though  not 
killed,  are  greatly  impeded  in  their  growth,  and  their  tender 
parts,  which  are  attacked,  become  stunted,  curled,  or  warped. 
The  punctures  of  these  lice  seem  to  poison  some  plants,  and 
affect  others  in  a  most  singular  manner,  producing  warts  or 
swellings,  which  are  sometimes  solid  and  sometimes  hollow, 
and  contain  in  their  interior  a  swarm  of  lice,  the  descendants 
of  a  single  individual,  whose  punctures  were  the  original  cause 
of  the  tumor.  I  have  seen  reddish  tumors  of  this  kind,  as  big 
as  a  pigeon's  egg,  growing  upon  leaves,  to  which  they  were 
attached  by  a  slender  neck,  and  containing  thousands  of  small 
lice  in  their  interior.  Naturalists  call  these  tumors  galls,  be- 
cause they  seem  to  be  formed  in  the  same  way  as  the  oak-galls 
which  are  used  in  the  making  of  ink.     The  lice  which  inhabit 


HEMIPTERA.  211 

or  produce  them  generally  differ  from  the  others,  in  having 
shorter  antennae,  being  without  honey-tubes,  and  in  frequently 
being  clothed  with  a  kind  of  white  down,  which,  however, 
disappears  when  the  insects  become  winged. 

These  downy  plant-lice  are  now  placed  in  the  genus  Erio- 
soma^  which  means  woolly  body,  and  the  most  destructive 
species  belonging  to  it  was  first  described,  under  the  name  of 
Aphis  lanigera,  by  Mr.  Hausmann,*  in  the  year  1801,  as  infest- 
ing the  apple-trees  in  Germany.  It  seems  that  it  had  been 
noticed  in  England  as  early  as  the  year  1787,  and  has  since 
acquired  there  the  name  of  American  blight,  from  the  erroneous 
supposition  that  it  had  been  imported  from  this  country.  It 
was  known,  however,  to  the  French  gardeners  f  for  a  long  time 
previous  to  both  of  the  above  dates,  and,  according  to  IVIr. 
Rennie,  J  is  found  in  the  orchards  about  Harfleur,  in  Normandy, 
and  is  very  destructive  to  the  apple-trees  in  the  department  of 
Calvados.  There  is  now  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  mis- 
called American  blight  is  not  indigenous  to  this  country,  and 
that  it  has  been  introduced  here  with  fruit-trees  from  Europe. 
Some  persons,  indeed,  have  supposed  that  it  was  not  to  be 
found  here  at  all,  but  the  late  Mr.  Buel  has  stated  §  that  it 
existed  on  his  apple-trees,  and  I  have  once  or  twice  seen  it  on 
apple-trees  in  Massachusetts,  where,  however,  it  still  appears 
to  be  rare,  and  consequently  I  have  not  been  able  to  examine 
the  insects  sufficiently  myself.  The  best  account  that  I  have 
seen  of  them  is  contained  in  Knapp's  "Journal  of  a  Natural- 
ist," from  which,  and  from  Hausmann's  description,  the  follow- 
ing observations  are  chiefly  extracted. 

The  eggs  of  the  woolly  apple-tree  louse  are  so  small  as  not 
to  be  distinguished  without  a  microscope,  and  are  enveloped 
in  a  cotton-like  substance  furnished  by  the  body  of  the  insect. 
They  are  deposited  in  the  crotches  of  the  branches  and  in  the 
chinks  of  the  bark  at  or  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  es- 
pecially if  there  are  suckers  springing  from  the  same  place. 
The  young,  when  first  hatched,  are  covered  with  a  very  short 

*  lUiger's  Magazin,  Vol.  I.  p.  440.         f  Salisbury's  Hints  on  Orchards,  p.  39. 

X  Insect  Miscellanies,  p.  180. 

§  New  England  Fanner,  Vol.  VII.  p.  1C9  ;  Vol.  IX.  p.  178. 


212  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  fine  down,  and  appear  in  the  spring  of  the  year  like  little 
specks  of  mould  on  the  trees.  As  the  season  advances,  and 
the  insect  increases  in  size,  its  downy  coat  becomes  more  dis- 
tinct, and  grows  in  length  daily.  This  down  is  very  easily 
removed,  adheres  to  the  fingers  when  it  is  touched,  and  seems 
to  issue  from  all  the  pores  of  the  skin  of  the  abdomen.  When 
fully  grown,  the  insects  of  the  first  brood  are  one  tenth  of  an 
inch  in  length,  and,  when  the  down  is  rubbed  off,  the  head, 
antennae,  sucker,  and  shins  are  found  to  be  of  a  blackish  color, 
and  the  abdomen  honey-yellow.  The  young  are  produced 
alive  during  the  summer,  are  buried  in  masses  of  the  down, 
and  derive  their  nourishment  from  the  sap  of  the  bark  and  of 
the  alburnum  or  young  wood  immediately  under  the  bark. 
The  adult  insects  never  acquire  wings,  at  least  such  is  the 
testimony  both  of  Hausmann  and  Knapp,  and  are  destitute  of 
honey-tubes,  but  from  time  to  time  emit  drops  of  a  sticky  fluid 
from  the  extremity  of  the  body.  These  insects,  though  desti- 
tute of  wings,  are  conveyed  from  tree  to  tree  by  means  of 
their  long  down,  which  is  so  plentiful  and  so  light,  as  easily  to 
be  wafted  by  the  winds  of  autumn,  and  thus  the  evil  will 
gradually  spread  throughout  an  extensive  orchard.  The  nu- 
merous punctures  of  these  lice  produce  on  the  tender  shoots  a 
cellular  appearance,  and  wherever  a  colony  of  them  is  estab- 
lished, warts  or  excrescences  arise  on  the  bark ;  the  limbs  thus 
attacked  become  sickly,  the  leaves  turn  yellow  and  drop  off; 
and,  as  the  infection  spreads  from  limb  to  limb,  the  whole  tree 
becomes  diseased,  and  eventually  perishes.  In  Gloucestershire, 
England,  so  many  apple-trees  were  destroyed  by  these  lice  in 
the  year  1810,  that  it  was  feared  the  making  of  cider  must  be 
abandoned.  In  the  north  of  England  the  apple-trees  are 
greatly  injured,  and  some  annually  destroyed  by  them,  and  in 
the  year  1826  they  abounded  there  in  such  incredible  luxuri- 
ance, that  many  trees  seemed,  at  a  short  distance,  as  if  they 
had  been  whitewashed. 

Mr.  Knapp  thinks  that  remedies  can  prove  efficacious  in 
removing  this  evil  only  upon  a  small  scale,  and  that  when  the 
injury  has  existed  for  some  time,  and  extended  its  influence 
over  the  parts  of  a  large  tree,  it  will  take  its  course,  and  the 


HEMIPTERA.  213 

tree  will  die.  He  says  that  he  has  removed  this  blight  from 
young  trees,  and  from  recently  attacked  places  in  those  more 
advanced,  by  painting  over  every  node  or  infected  part  of  the 
tree  with  a  composition  consisting  of  three  ounces  of  melted 
resin  mixed  with  the  same  quantity  of  fish  oil,  which  is  to  be 
put  on  while  warm,  with  a  painter's  brush.  Sir  Joseph  Banks 
succeeded  in  extirpating  the  insects  from  his  own  trees  by 
removing  all  the  old  and  rugged  bark,  and  scrubbing  the  trunk 
and  branches  with  a  hard  brush.  The  application  of  the  spirits 
of  tar,  of  spirits  of  turpentine,  of  oil,  urine,  and  of  soft  soap, 
has  been  recommended.  Mr.  Buel  found  that  oil  sufficed  to 
drive  the  insects  from  the  trunks  and  branches,  but  that  it 
could  not  be  applied  to  the  roots,  where  he  stated  numbers  of 
the  insects  harbored.  The  following  treatment  I  am  inclined 
to  think  will  prove  as  successful  as  any  which  has  heretofore 
been  recommended.  Scrape  off  all  the  rough  bark  of  the 
infected  trees,  and  make  them  perfectly  clean  and  smooth 
early  in  the  spring ;  then  rub  the  trunk  and  limbs  with  a  stiff 
brush  wet  with  a  solution  of  potash  as  hereafter  recommended 
for  the  destruction  of  bark  lice ;  after  which  remove  the  sods 
and  earth  around  the  bottom  of  the  trunk,  and  with  the  scraper, 
brush,  and  alkaline  liquor,  cleanse  that  part  as  far  as  the  roots 
can  conveniently  be  uncovered.  The  earth  and  sods  should 
immediately  be  carried  away,  fresh  loam  should  be  placed 
around  the  roots,  and  all  cracks  and  wounds  should  be  filled 
with  grafting  cement  or  clay  mortar.  Small  limbs  and  ex- 
tremities of  branches,  if  infected,  and  beyond  reach  of  the 
applications,  should  be  cut  off  and  burned. 

There  are  several  other  species  of  Eriosoma  or  downy  lice 
in  this  State,  inhabiting  various  forest  and  ornamental  trees, 
some  of  which  may  also  have  been  introduced  from  abroad. 
The  descriptions  of  foreign  plant-lice  are  mostly  so  brief  and 
imperfect,  that  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  from  them  which 
of  our  species  are  identical  with  those  of  Europe;  I  shall 
therefore  omit  any  further  account  of  these  insects,  and  close 
this  part  of  the  subject  with  a  few  remarks  on  the  remedies  to 
be  employed  for  their  destruction  generally,  and  some  notice 
of  the  natural  enemies  of  plant-lice. 


214  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Solutions  of  soap,  or  a  mixture  of  soapsuds  and  tobacco- 
water,  used  warm  and  applied  with  a  watering-pot  or  with  a 
garden  engine,  may  be  employed  for' the  destruction  of  these 
insects.  It  is  said  that  hot  water  may  also  be  employed  for 
the  same  purpose  with  safety  and  success.  The  water,  tobacco- 
tea,  or  suds  should  be  thrown  upon  the  plants  with  considerable 
force,  and  if  they  are  of  the  cabbage  or  lettuce  kind,  or  other 
plants  whose  leaves  are  to  be  used  as  food,  they  should  subse- 
quently be  drenched  thoroughly  with  pure  water.  Professor 
Lindley  recommends  syringing  plants,  as  often  as  necessary 
to  remove  the  lice,  with  a  solution  of  half  an  ounce  of  strong 
carbonate  of  ammonia  in  one  quart  of  water,  which  has  the 
merit  of  being  clean  as  well  as  effectual.  Lice  on  the  extremi- 
ties of  branches  may  be  killed  by  bending  over  the  branches 
and  holding  them  for  several  minutes  in  warm  and  strong 
soapsuds,  or  in  a  solution  of  whale-oil  soap.  Against  the 
depredations  of  the  plant-lice  that  sometimes  infest  potato- 
fields,  dusting  the  plants  with  Ume  has  been  found  a  good 
remedy.  Lice  multiply  much  faster,  and  are  more  injurious 
to  plants,  in  a  dry  than  in  a  wet  atmosphere;  hence  in  green- 
houses, attention  should  be  paid  to  keep  the  air  sufficiently 
moist;  and  the  lice  are  readily  killed  by  fumigations  with 
tobacco  or  with  sulphur.  To  destroy  subterranean  lice  on  the 
roots  of  plants,  I  have  found  that  watering  with  salt  water 
was  useful,  if  the  plants  were  hardy ;  but  tender  herbaceous 
plants  cannot  be  treated  in  this  way,  but  may  sometimes  be 
revived,  when  suffering  from  these  hidden  foes,  by  free  and 
frequent  watering  with  soapsuds. 

Plant-lice  would  undoubtedly  be  much  more  abundant  and 
destructive,  if  they  were  not  kept  in  check  by  certain  redoubt- 
able enemies  of  the  insect  kind,  which  seem  expressly  created 
to  diminish  their  numbers.  These  lice-destroyers  are  of  three 
sorts.  The  first  are  the  young  or  larvsB  of  the  hemispherical 
beetles  familiarly  known  by  the  name  of  lady-birds,  and  scien- 
tifically by  that  of  Coccinella.  These  little  beetles  are  gener- 
ally yellow  or  red,  with  black  spots,  or  black,  with  white,  red, 
or  yellow  spots;  there  are  many  kinds  of  them,  and  they  are 
very  common  and  plentiful  insects,  and  are  generally  diffused 


HEMIPTERA.  215 

among  plants.  They  live,  both  in  the  perfect  and  young  state, 
upon  plant-lice,  and  hence  their  services  are  very  considerable. 
Their  young  are  small  flattened  grubs  of  a  bluish  or  blue-black 
color,  spotted  usually  with  red  or  yellow,  and  furnished  with 
six  legs  near  the  fore  part  of  the  body.  They  are  hatched 
from  little  yellow  eggs,  laid  in  clusters  among  the  plant-lice, 
so  that  they  find  themselves  at  once  within  reach  of  their  prey, 
which,  from  their  superior  strength,  they  are  enabled  to  seize 
and  slaughter  in  great  numbers.  In  July,  1848,  a  friend  sent 
to  me  a  whole  brood  of  lady-bird  grubs,  which,  being  found 
upon  potato-vines,  were  thought  by  some  of  his  neighbors  to 
be  the  cause  of  the  rot.  In  a  few  weeks,  the  grubs  were  trans- 
formed to  beetles,  about  as  big  as  half  a  pea,  and  having  nine 
black  dots  on  their  dull  orange-colored  wing-shells.  Hence 
they  derive  their  name  of  Coccinella  novemnotata,  the  nine- 
dotted  Coccinella.  It  need  hardly  be  added  that  these  little 
insects  were  wholly  innocent  of  all  offence  to  the  plants,  upon 
which,  when  infested  with  the  common  potato  plant-lice,  they 
may  always  be  found.  It  is  amusing,  however,  that  both  of 
these  kinds  of  insects  should  have  been  charged  with  the  same 
fault,  one  having  no  more  to  do  with  producing  the  disease 
than  the  other. 

There  are  some  lady-birds,  of  a  very  small  size,  and  blackish 
color,  sparingly  clothed  with  short  hairs,  and  sometimes  with 
a  yellow  spot  at  the  end  of  the  wing-covers,  whose  young  are 
clothed  with  short  tufts  or  flakes  of  the  most  delicate  white 
down.  These  insects  belong  to  the  genus  Sci/mnus,  which 
means  a  lion's  whelp,  and  they  well  merit  such  a  name,  for 
their  young,  in  proportion  to  their  size,  are  as  sanguinary  and 
ferocious  as  the  most  savage  beasts  of  prey.  I  have  often 
seen  one  of  these  little  tufted  animals  preying  upon  plant-lice, 
catching  and  devouring,  with  the  greatest  ease,  lice  nearly  as 
large  as  its  own  body,  one  after  another,  in  rapid  succession, 
without  apparently  satiating  its  hunger  or  diminishing  its 
activity. 

The  second  kind  of  plant-lice  destroyers  are  the  young  of 
the  golden-eyed  lace-winged  fly,  Chrysopa  perla.  This  fly  is 
of  a  pale  green  color,  and  has  four  wings  resembling  delicate 


216  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

lace,  and  eyes  of  the  brilliancy  of  polished  gold,  as  its  generi- 
cal  name  implies;  but,  notwithstanding  its  delicacy  and  beauty, 
it  is  extremely  disgusting  from  the  offensive  odor  that  it  ex- 
hales. It  suspends  its  eggs,  by  threads,  in  clusters  beneath 
the  leaves  where  plant-lice  abound.  The  young,  or  larva,  is  a 
rather  long  and  slender  grub,  provided  with  a  pair  of  large 
curved  and  sharp  teeth  (jaivs),  moving  laterally,  and  each  per- 
forated with  a  hole  through  which  it  sucks  the  juices  of  its 
victims.  The  havoc  it  makes  is  astonishing;  for  one  minute 
is  all  the  time  it  requires  to  kill  the  largest  plant-louse,  and 
suck  out  the  fluid  contents  of  its  body. 

The  last  of  the  enemies  of  plant-lice  are  the  maggots  or 
young  of  various  two-winged  flies  belonging  to  the  geni;is 
Syrphus.  Many  of  these  flies  are  black  with  yellow  bands  on 
their  bodies.  I  have  often  seen  them  hovering  over  small  trees 
and  other  plants,  depositing  their  eggs,  which  they  do  on  the 
wing,  like  the  bot-fly,  curving  their  tails  beneath  the  leaves, 
and  fixing  here  and  there  an  eg^,  wherever  plant-lice  are  dis- 
covered. Others  lay  their  eggs  near  the  buds  of  trees,  where 
the  young  may  find  their  appropriate  nourishment  as  soon  as 
they  are  hatched.  The  young  are  maggots,  which  are  thick 
and  blunt  behind,  tapering  and  pointed  before ;  their  mouths 
are  armed  with  a  ti'iple-pointed  dart,  with  which  they  pierce 
their  prey,  elevate  it  above  their  heads,  and  feast  upon  its 
juices  at  leisure.  Though  these  maggots  are  totally  blind, 
they  are  enabled  to  discover  their  victims  without  much  grop- 
ing about,  in  consequence  of  the  provident  care  of  the  parent 
flies,  which  leave  their  eggs  in  the  very  midst  of  the  sluggish 
lice.  Mr.  Kirby  sdys,  that,  on  examining  his  currant-bushes, 
which  but  a  week  before  were  infested  by  myriads  of  aphides, 
not  one  was  to  be  found ;  but  beneath  each  leaf  were  three  or 
four  fuli-fed  maggots,  surrounded  by  heaps  of  the  slain,  the 
trophies  of  their  successful  warfare.  He  also  says  that  he  has 
found  it  very  easy  to  clear  a  plant  or  small  tree  of  lice,  by 
placing  upon  it  several  larvae  of  Coccinella  or  Syrphi. 


HEMIPTERA.  217 

3.     Bark-lice.      CoccidcB. 

The  celebrated  scarlet  in  grain,  which  has  been  employed 
in  Asia  and  the  South  of  Europe,  from  the  earliest  ages,  as  a 
coloring  material,  was  known  to  the  Romans  by  the  name  of 
Coccus,  derived  from  a  similar  Greek  word,  and  was,  for  a 
long  time,  supposed  to  be  a  vegetable  production,  or  grain,  as 
indeed  its  name  implies.  At  length  it  was  ascertained  that 
this  valuable  dye  was  an  insect,  and  others  agreeing  with  it  in 
habits,  and  some  also  in  properties,  having  been  discovered, 
Linneeus  retained  them  all  under  the  same  name.  Hence  in 
the  genus  Coccus  are  included  not  only  the  Thola  of  the  Phoe- 
nicians and  Jews,  the  Kermes  of  the  Arabians,  or  the  Coccus 
of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  but  the  scarlet  grain  of  Poland, 
and  the  still  more  valuable  Cochenille  of  Mexico,  together 
with  various  kinds  of  bark-lice,  agreeing  with  the  former  in 
habits  and  structure.  These  insects  vary  very  much  in  form; 
some  of  them  are  oval  and  slightly  convex  scales,  and  others 
have  the  shape  of  a  muscle;  some  are  quite  convex,  and  either 
formed  like  a  boat  turned  bottom  upwards,  or  are  kidney-shaped, 
or  globular.  They  live  mostly  on  the  bark  of  the  stems  of 
plants,  some,  however,  are  habitually  found  upon  leaves,  and 
some  on  roots.  In  the  early  state,  the  head  is  completely 
withdrawn  beneath  the  shell  of  the  body  and  concealed,  the 
beak  or  sucker  seems  to  issue  from  the  breast,  and  the  legs  are 
very  short  and  not  visible  from  above.  The  females  undergo 
only  a  partial  transformation,  or  rather  scarcely  any  other 
change  than  that  of  an  increase  in  size,  which,  in  some  species 
indeed,  is  enormous,  compared  with  the  previous  condition  of 
the  insect ;  but  the  males  pass  through  a  complete  transforma- 
tion before  arriving  at  the  perfect  or  winged  state.  In  both 
sexes  we  find  threadlike  or  tapering  antennae,  longer  than  the 
head,  but  much  shorter  than  those  of  plant-lice,  and  feet  con- 
sisting of  only  one  joint,  terminated  by  a  single  claw.  The 
mature  female  retains  the  beak  or  sucker,  but  does  not  acquire 
wings;  the  male  on  the  contrary  has  two  wings,  but  the  beak 
disappears.  In  both  there  are  two  slender  threads  at  the  ex 
tremity  of  the  body,  very  short  in  some  females,  usually  quite 
28 


218  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

long  in  the  males,  which  moreover  are  provided  with  a  stylet 
at  the  tip  of  the  abdomen,  which  is  recurved  beneath  the  body. 
The  following  account*  contains  a  summary  of  nearly  all 
that  is  known  respecting  the  history  and  habits  of  these  in- 
sects. Early  in  the  spring  the  bark-lice  are  found  apparently 
torpid,  situated  longitudinally  in  regard  to  the  branch,  the 
head  upwards,  and  sticking  by  their  flattened  inferior  surface 
closely  to  the  bark.  On  attempting  to  remove  them  they  are 
generally  crushed,  and  there  issues  from  the  body  a  dark  colored 
fluid.  By  pricking  them  with  a  pin,  they  can  be  made  to  quit 
their  hold,  as  I  have  often  seen  in  the  common  species,  Coccus 
Hesperidmn,  infesting  the  myrtle.  A  little  later  the  body  is 
more  swelled,  and,  on  carefully  raising  it  with  a  knife,  numer- 
ous oblong  eggs  will  be  discovered  beneath  it,  and  the  insect 
appears  dried  up  and  dead,  and  only  its  outer  skin  remains, 
which  forms  a  convex  cover  to  its  future  progeny.  Under  this 
protecting  shield  the  young  are  hatched,  and,  on  the  approach 
of  warm  weather,  make  their  escape  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
shield,  which  is  either  slightly  elevated  or  notched  at  this  part. 
They  then  move  with  considerable  activity,  and  disperse  them- 
selves over  the  young  shoots  or  leaves.  The  shape  of  the 
yonng  Coccus  is  much  like  that  of  its  parent,  but  the  body  is 
of  a  paler  color  and  more  thin  and  flattened.  Its  six  short 
legs  and  its  slender  beak  are  visible  under  a  magnifier.  Some 
are  covered  with  a  mealy  powder,  as  the  Coccus  Cacti,  or 
cochenille  of  commerce,  and  the  Coccus  Adonidum,  or  mealy 
bug  of  our  greenhouses.  Others  are  hairy  or  woolly;  but 
most  of  them  are  naked  and  dark  colored.  These  young 
lice  insert  their  beaks  into  the  bark  or  leaves,  and  draw  from 
the  cellular  substance  the  sap  that  nourishes  them.  Reaumur 
observed  the  ground  quite  moist  under  peach-trees  infested 
with  bark-lice,  which  was  caused  by  the  dripping  of  the  sap 
from  the  numerous  punctures  made  by  these  insects.  While 
they  continue  their  exhausting  suction  of  sap,  they  increase  in 
size,  and  during  this  time  are  in  what  is  called  the  larva  state. 
When  this  is  completed,  the  insects  will  be  found  to  be  of 

*  It  was  drawn  up  by  me  in  the  year  1828,  and  published  in  the  seventh 
volume  of  the  "New  England  Farmer,"  pp.  185,  187. 


HEMIPTERA.  219 

different  magnitudes,  some  much  larger  than  the  others,  and 
they  then  prepare  for  a  change  that  is  about  to  ensue  in  their 
mode  of  life,  by  emitting  from  the  under  side  of  their  bodies 
numerous  little  white  downy  threads,  which  are  fastened,  in  a 
radiated  manner,  around  their  bodies  to  the  bark,  and  serve  to 
confine  them  securely  in  their  places.  After  becoming  thus 
fixed  they  remain  apparently  inanimate;  but  under  these  life- 
less scales  the  transformation  of  the  insect  is  conducted ;  with 
this  remarkable  diflerence,  that  in  a  few  days  the  large  ones 
contrive  to  break  up  and  throw  off,  in  four  or  five  flakes,  their 
outer  scaly  coats,  and  reappear  in  a  very  similar  form  to  that 
which  they  before  had;  the  smaller  ones,  on  the  contrary,  con- 
tinue under  their  outer  skins,  which  serve  instead  of  cocoons, 
and  from  which  they  seem  to  shrink  and  detach  themselves, 
and  then  become  perfect  pupae,  the  rudiments  of  wings,  an- 
tenna?, feet,  &c.,  being  discoverable  on  raising  the  shells.  If 
we  follow  the  progress  of  these  small  lice,  which  are  to  produce 
the  males,  we  shall  see,  in  process  of  time,  a  pair  of  threads 
and  the  tips  of  the  wings  protruding  beneath  the  shell  at  its 
lower  elevated  part,  and  through  this  little  fissure  the  perfect 
insect  at  length  backs  out.  After  the  larger  lice  have  become 
fixed  and  have  thrown  off  their  outer  coats,  they  enter  upon 
the  pupa  or  chrysalis  state,  which  continues  for  a  longer  or 
shorter  period  according  to  the  species.  But  when  they  have 
become  mature,  they  do  not  leave  the  skins  or  shells  covering 
their  bodies,  which  continue  flexible  for  a  time.  These  larger 
insects  are  the  females,  and  are  destined  to  remain  immovable, 
and  never  change  their  place  after  they  have  once  become 
stationary.  The  male  is  exceedingly  small  in  comparison  to 
the  female,  and  is  provided  with  only  two  wings,  which  are 
usually  very  large,  and  lie  flatly  on  the  top  of  the  body.  After 
the  insects  have  paired,  the  body  of  the  female  increases  in 
size,  or  becomes  quite  convex,  for  a  time,  and  ever  afterwards 
remains  without  alteration;  but  serves  to  shelter  the  eggs 
which  are  to  give  birth  to  her  future  offspring.  These  eggs, 
when  matured,  pass  under  the  body  of  the  mother,  and  the 
latter  by  degrees  shrinks  more  and  more  till  nothing  is  left  but 
the  dry  outer  convex  skin,  and  the  insect  perishes  on  the  spot. 


220  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Sometimes  the  insect's  body  is  not  large  enough  to  cover  all 
her  eggs,  in  which  case  she  beds  them  in  a  considerable  quan- 
tity of  the  down  that  issues  from  the  under  or  hinder  part  of 
her  body.  There  are  several  broods  of  some  species  in  the 
year;  of  the  bark -louse  of  the  apple-tree  at  least  two  are  pro- 
duced in  one  season.  It  is  probable  that  the  insects  of  the 
second  or  last  brood  pair  in  the  autumn,  after  w^hich  the  males 
die,  but  the  females  survive  the  winter,  and  lay  their  eggs  in 
the  following  spring. 

Young  apple-trees,  and  the  extremities  of  the  limbs  of  older 
trees  are  very  much  subject  to  the  attacks  of  a  small  species 
of  bark-louse.  The  limbs  and  smooth  parts  of  the  trunks  are 
sometimes  completely  covered  with  these  insects,  and  present 
a  very  singularly  wrinkled  and  rough  appearance  from  the 
bodies  which  are  crowded  closely  together.  In  the  winter 
these  insects  are  torpid,  and  apparently  dead.  They  measure 
about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  are  of  an  oblong  oval 
shape,  gradually  decreasing  to  a  point  at  one  end,  and  are  of  a 
brownish  color  very  near  to  that  of  the  bark  of  the  tree.  These 
insects  resemble  in  shape  one  which  was  described  by  Reau- 
mur* in  1738,  who  found  it  on  the  elm  in  France,  and  Geoffroy 
named  the  insect  Coccus  arborum  linearis,  while  Gmelin  called 
it  conchiformis.  This,  or  one  much  like  it,  is  very  abundant 
upon  apple-trees  in  England,  as  we  learn  from  Dr.  Shaw  f  and 
Mr.  Ivirby;  J  and  Mr.  Rennie§  states  that  he  found  it  in  great 
plenty  on  currant-bushes.  It  is  highly  probable  that  we  have 
received  this  insect  from  Europe,  but  it  is  somewhat  doubtful 
W'hether  our  apple-tree  bark-louse  be  identical  with  the  species 
found  by  Reaumur  on  the  elm;  and  the  doubt  seems  to  be 
justified  by  the  difference  in  the  trees  and  in  the  habits  of  the 
insects,  our  species  being  gregarious,  and  that  of  the  elm  nearly 
solitary.  It  is  true  that  on  some  of  our  indigenous  forest-trees 
bark-lice  of  nearly  the  same  form  and  appearance  have  been 


*  Mcmoires,  Vol.  IV.  p.  69,  plate  5,  figs.  5,  6,  7. 
t  General  Zoology,  Vol.  VI.,  Part  I.  p.  196. 
%  Introduction  to  Entomology,  Vol.  I.  p.  201. 
^  Insect  Transformations,  p.  92. 


HEMIPTERA.  221 

observed;  but  it  is  by  no  means  clear  that  they  are  of  the 
same  species  as  those  on  the  apple-tree.  The  first  account 
that  we  have  of  the  occurrence  of  bark-lice  on  apple-trees,  in 
this  country,  is  a  communication  by  Mr.  Enoch  Perley,  of 
Bridgetown,  Maine,  written  in  1794,  and  published  among 
the  early  papers  of  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Society.* 
These  insects  have  now  become  extremely  common,  and  in- 
fest our  nurseries  and  young  trees  to  a  very  great  extent.  In 
the  spring  the  eggs  are  readily  to  be  seen  on  raising  the 
little  muscle-shaped  scales  beneath  which  they  are  concealed. 
These  eggs  are  of  a  white  color,  and  in  shape  nearly  like  those 
of  snakes.  Every  shell  contains  from  thirty  to  forty  of  them, 
imbedded  in  a  small  quantity  of  whitish  friable  down.  They 
begin  to  hatch  about  the  25th  of  May,  and  finish  about  the 
10th  of  June,  according  to  Mr.  Perley.  The  young,  on  their 
first  appearance,  are  nearly  white,  very  minute,  and  nearly 
oval  in  form.  In  about  ten  days  they  become  stationary,  and 
early  in  June  throw  out  a  quantity  of  bluish  white  down,  soon 
after  which  their  transformations  are  completed,  and  the 
females  become  fertile,  and  deposit  their  eggs.  These,  it 
seems,  are  hatched  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  and  the  young 
come  to  their  growth  and  provide  for  a  new  brood  before  the 
ensuing  winter. 

Among  the  natural  means  which  are  provided  to  check  the 
increase  of  these  bark-lice,  are  birds,  many  of  which,  especially 
those  of  the  genera  Parus  and  Reg'ulus,  containing  the  chick- 
adee and  our  wrens,  devour  great  quantities  of  these  lice.  I 
have  also  found  that  these  insects  are  preyed  upon  by  internal 
parasites,  minute  ichneumon  flies,  and  the  holes  (which  are  as 
small  as  if  made  with  a  fine  needle),  through  which  these  little 
insects  come  forth,  may  be  seen  on  the  backs  of  a  great  many 
of  the  lice  which  have  been  destroyed  by  their  intestine  foes. 
The  best  application  for  the  destruction  of  the  lice  is  a  wash 
made  of  two  parts  of  soft  soap  and  eight  of  water,  with  which 
is  to  be  mixed  lime  enough  to  bring  it  to  the  consistence  of 
thick  whitewash.     This  is  to  be  put  upon  the  trunks  and  limbs 

*  See  papers  for  1796,  p.  32. 


222  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  the  trees  with  a  brush,  and  as  high  as  practicable,  so  as  to 
cover  the  whole  surface,  and  fill  all  the  cracks  in  the  bark. 
The  proper  time  for  washing  over  the  trees  is  in  the  early  part 
of  June,  when  the  insects  are  young  and  tender.  These  in- 
sects may  also  be  killed  by  using  in  the  same  way  a  solution 
of  two  pounds  of  potash  in  seven  quarts  of  water,  or  a  pickle 
consisting  of  a  quart  of  common  salt  in  two  gallons  of  water. 
There  has  been  found  on  the  apple  and  pear  tree  another 
kind  of  bark-louse,  which  differs  from  the  foregoing  in  many 
important  particulars,  and  approaches  nearest  to  a  species 
inhabiting  the  aspen  in  Sweden,  of  which  a  description  has 
been  given  by  Dalman  in  the  "  Transactions  of  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Sciences  of  Stockholm,"*  for  the  year  1825,  under 
the  name  of  Coccus  cryptogamus.  This  species  is  of  the  kind 
in  which  the  body  of  the  female  is  not  large  enough  to  cover 
her  eggs,  for  the  protection  whereof  another  provision  is  made, 
consisting,  in  this  species,  of  a  kind  of  membranous  shell,  of 
the  color  and  consistence  almost  of  paper.  In  the  autumn 
and  throughout  the  winter,  these  insects  are  seen  in  a  dormant 
state,  and  of  two  different  forms  and  sizes  on  the  bark  of  the 
trees.  The  larger  ones  measure  less  than  a  tenth  of  an  inch 
in  length,  and  have  the  form  of  a  common  oyster  shell,  being 
broad  at  the  hinder  extremity,  but  tapering  towards  the  other, 
which  is  surmounted  by  a  little  oval  brownish  scale.  The 
small  ones,  which  are  not  much  more  than  half  the  length  of 
the  others,  are  of  a  very  long  oval  shape,  or  almost  four  sided 
with  the  ends  rounded;  and  one  extremity  is  covered  by  a 
minute  oval  dark  colored  scale.  These  little  shell-like  bodies 
are  clustered  together  in  great  numbers,  are  of  a  white  color 
and  membranous  texture,  and  serve  as  cocoons  to  shelter  the 
insects  while  they  are  undergoing  their  transformations.  The 
large  ones  are  the  pupa-cases  or  cocoons  of  the  female,  beneath 
which  the  eggs  are  laid;  and  the  small  ones  are  the  cases  of 
the  males,  and  differ  from  those  of  the  females  not  only  in 
size  and  shape,  but  also  in  being  of  a  purer  white  color,  and 
in  having  an  elevated  ridge  passing  down  the  middle.     The 

*  Kongl.  Vetenskaps  Academ.  Nya  Handlingar. 


HEMIPTERA.  223 

minute  oval  dark-colored  scales  on  one  of  the  ends  of  these 
white  cases  are  the  skins  of  the  lice  while  they  were  in  the 
young  or  larva  state,  and  the  white  shells  are  probably  formed 
in  the  same  way  as  the  down  which  exudes  from  the  bodies  of 
other  bark-lice,  but  which  in  these  assumes  a  regular  shape, 
varying  according  to  the  sex,  and  becoming  membranous  after 
it  is  formed.  Not  having  seen  these  insects  in  a  living  state,  I 
have  not  been  able  to  trace  their  progress,  and  must  therefore 
refer  to  Dalman's  memoir  above  mentioned,  for  such  particu- 
lars as  tend  to  illustrate  the  remaining  history  of  this  species. 
The  body  of  the  female  insect,  which  is  covered  and  concealed 
by  the  outer  case  above  described,  is  minute,  of  an  oval  form, 
WTinkled  at  the  sides,  flattened  above,  and  of  a  reddish  color. 
By  means  of  her  beak,  which  is  constantly  thrust  into  the 
bark,  she  imbibes  the  sap,  by  which  she  is  nourished;  she  un- 
dergoes no  change,  and  never  emerges  from  her  habitation. 
The  male  becomes  a  chrysalis  or  pupa,  and  about  the  middle 
of  July  completes  its  transformations,  makes  its  escape  from 
its  case,  which  it  leaves  at  the  hinder  extremity,  and  the  wings 
with  which  it  is  provided  are  reversed  over  its  head  during  the 
operation,  and  are  the  last  to  be  extricated.  The  perfect  male 
is  nearly  as  minute  as  a  point,  but  a  pow^erful  magnifier  shows 
its  body  to  be  divided  into  segments,  and  endued  with  all  the 
important  parts  and  functions  of  a  living  animal.  To  the 
unassisted  eye,  says  Dalman,  it  appears  only  as  a  red  atom, 
but  it  is  furnished  with  a  pair  of  long  whitish  wings,  long 
antennse  or  horns,  six  legs  with  their  respective  joints,  and  two 
bristles  terminating  the  tail.  This  minute  insect  perforates 
the  middle  of  the  case  covering  the  female,  and  thus  celebrates 
its  nuptials  with  its  invisible  partner.  The  latter  subsequently 
deposits  her  eggs  and  dies.  In  due  time  the  young  are  hatched 
and  leave  the  case,  under  which  they  were  fostered,  by  a  little 
crevice  at  its  hinder  part.  These  young  lice,  which  I  have 
seen,  are  very  small,  of  a  pale  yellowish  brown  color,  and  of 
an  oval  shape,  very  flat,  and  appearing  like  minute  scales. 
They  move  about  for  a  while,  at  length  become  stationary, 
increase  in  size,  and  in  due  time  the  whitish  shells  are  pro- 
duced, and  the  included  insects  pass  from  the  larva  to  the 


224  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

pupa  state.  The  means  for  destroying  these  insects  are  the 
same  as  those  recommended  for  the  extermination  of  the  pre- 
vious species. 

Many  years  ago,  when  on  a  visit  from  home,  I  observed  on 
a  fine  native  grape-vine,  that  was  trained  against  the  side  of  a 
house,  great  numbers  of  reddish  brown  bark-lice,  of  a  globular 
form,  and  about  half  as  large  as  a  small  pea,  arranged  in  lines 
on  the  stems.  An  opportunity  for  further  examination  of  this 
species  did  not  occur  till  the  summer  of  1839,  when  I  was  led 
to  the  discovery  of  a  few  of  these  lice  on  my  Isabella  grape- 
vines, by  seeing  the  ants  ascending  and  descending  the  stems. 
Upon  careful  search  I  discovered  the  lice,  w^hich  were  nearly 
of  the  color  of  the  bark  of  the  vine,  partly  imbedded  in  a  little 
crevice  of  the  bark,  and  arranged  one  behind  another  in  a  line. 
They  drew  great  quantities  of  sap,  as  was  apparent  by  their 
exudations,  by  which  the  ants  were  attracted.  Further  obser- 
vations were  arrested  by  a  fire  which  consumed  the  house  and 
the  vines  that  were  trained  to  it. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  225 


LEPIDOPTERA. 

Caterpillars.  —  Butterflies.  Skippers. — Hawk-Moths.  ^gerians  or 
Boring-Caterpillars.  Glaxjcopidians. — Moths.  —  Spinners.  Lithosi- 
ANS.  —  Tiger-Moths.  Ermine-Moths.  Tussock-Moths.  —  Lackey-Moths. 
Lappet-Moths.  —  Satuhnians.  —  Ceratocampians.  —  Carpenter-Moths.  — 

PSYCHIANS.  — ;  NoTODONTIANS. OaVL-MoTHS.       CuT-WoRMS. GEOMETERS,  OR 

Span-Worms,  and  Canker-Worms.  —  Delta-Moths.  —  Leaf-Rollers.  Bud- 
MoTHS.  Fruit-Moths.  —  Bee-Moths.  Corn-Moths.  Clothes-Moths. — 
Feather- AviNGED  Moths. 

There  are  perhaps  no  insects  which  are  so  commonly  and  so 
universally  destructive  as  caterpillars ;  they  are  inferior  only  to 
locusts  in  voracity,  and  equal  or  exceed  them  in  their  powers 
of  increase,  and  in  general  are  far  more  widely  spread  over 
vegetation.  Caterpillars  are  the  young  of  butterflies  and  of 
moths;  and  of  these,  five  hundred  species,  which  are  natives 
of  Massachusetts,  are  already  known  to  me,  and  probably  there 
are  at  least  as  many  more  kinds  to  be  discovered  within  the 
limits  of  this  Commonwealth.  As  each  female  usually  lays 
from  two  hundred  to  five  hundred  eggs,  one  thousand  different 
kinds  of  butterflies  and  moths  wiU  produce,  on  an  average, 
three  hundred  thousand  caterpillars;  if  one  half  of  this  num- 
ber, when  arrived  at  maturity,  are  females,  they  will  give  forty- 
five  millions  of  caterpfllars  in  the  second,  and  six  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  millions  in  the  third  generation. 
These  data  suffice  to  show  that  the  actual  number  of  these 
insects,  existing  at  any  one  time,  must  be  far  beyond  the 
limits  of  calculation.  The  greater  part  of  caterpillars  subsist 
on  vegetable  food,  and  especially  on  the  leaves  of  plants;  hence 
their  injuries  to  vegetation  are  immense,  and  are  too  often 
forced  upon  our  notice.  Some  devour  the  solid  wood  of  trees, 
some  live  only  in  the  pith  of  plants,  and  some  confine  them- 
selves to  grains  and.  seeds.  Certain  species  attack  our  woollens 
and  furs,  thereby  doing  us  much  injury;  even  leather,  meat, 
29 


226  INSECTS  INJUIIIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

wax,  flour,  and  lard  afford  nourishment  to  particular  kinds  of 
caterpillars. 

Caterpillars  vary  greatly  in  form  and  appearance,  but,  in 
general,  their  bodies  are  more  or  less  cylindrical,  and  composed 
of  twelve  rings  or  segments,  with  a  shelly  head,  and  from 
ten  to  sixteen  legs.  The  first  three  pairs  of  legs  are  covered 
with  a  shelly  skin,  are  jointed,  and  tapering,  and  are  armed  at 
the  end  with  a  little  claw,  the  other  legs  are  thick  and  fleshy, 
without  joints,  but  clastic  or  contractile,  and  are  generally 
surrounded  at  the  extremity  by  numerous  minute  hooks. 
There  are  six  very  small  eyes  on  each  side  of  the  head,  two 
short  antennae,  and  strong  jaws  or  nippers,  placed  at  the  sides 
of  the  mouth,  so  as  to  open  and  shut  sidewise.  In  the  middle 
of  the  lower  lip  is  a  little  conical  tube,  from  which  the  insects 
spin  the  silken  threads  that  are  used  by  them  in  making  their 
nests  and  their  cocoons,  and  in  various  other  purposes  of  their 
economy.  Two  long  and  slender  bags,  in  the  interior  of  their 
bodies,  and  ending  in  the  spinning  tube,  contain  the  matter  of 
the  silk.  This  is  a  sticky  fluid,  and  it  flows  from  the  spinner 
in  a  fine  stream,  which  hardens  into  a  thread  so  soon  as  it 
comes  to  the  air.  Some  caterpillars  make  but  very  little  silk ; 
others,  such  as  the  silk-worm  and  the  apple-tree  caterpillar, 
produce  it  in  great  abundance. 

Some  caterpillars  herd  together  in  great  numbers,  and  pass 
the  early  period  of  their  existence  in  society;  and  of  these 
there  are  species  which  unite'  in  their  labors,  and  construct 
tents  serving  as  a  common  habitation  in  which  they  live,  or  to 
which  they  retire  occasionally  for  shelter.  Others  pass  their 
lives  in  solitude,  either  exposed  to  the  light  and  air,  or  shel- 
tered in  leaves  folded  over  their  bodies,  or  form  for  themselves 
silken  sheaths,  which  are  either  fixed  or  portable.  Some  make 
their  abodes  in  the  stems  of  plants,  or  mine  in  the  pulpy  sub- 
stance of  leaves;  and  others  conceal  themselves  in  the  ground, 
from  which  they  issue  only  when  in  search  of  food. 

Caterpillars  usually  change  their  skins  about  four  times 
before  they  come  to  their  growth.  At  length  they  leave  off 
eating  entirely,  and  prepare  for  their  first  transformation. 
Most  of  them,  at  this  period,  spin  around  their  bodies  a  sort 


LEPIDOPTERA.  227 

of  shroud  or  cocoon,  into  which  some  interweave  the  hairs  of 
their  own  bodies,  and  some  employ,  in  the  same  way,  leaves, 
bits  of  wood,  or  even  grains  of  earth.  Other  caterpillars  sus- 
pend themselves,  in  various  ways,  by  silken  threads,  without 
enclosing  their  bodies  in  cocoons;  and  again,  there  are  others 
which  merely  enter  the  earth  to  undergo  their  transformations. 

When  the  caterpillar  has  thus  prepared  itself  for  the  ap- 
proaching change,  by  repeated  exertions  and  struggles  it  bursts 
open  the  skin  on  the  top  of  its  back,  withdraws  the  fore  part 
of  its  body,  and  works  the  skin  backwards  till  the  hinder  ex- 
tremity is  extricated.  It  then  no  longer  appears  in  the  cater- 
pillar form,  but  has  become  a  pupa  or  chrysalis,  shorter  than 
the  caterpillar,  and  at  first  sight  apparently  without  a  head  or 
limbs.  On  close  examination,  however,  there  may  be  found 
traces  of  a  head,  tongue,  antennae,  wings,  and  legs,  closely 
pressed  to  the  body,  to  which  these  parts  are  cemented  by  a 
kind  of  varnish.  Some  chrysalids  are  angular,  or  furnished 
with  little  protuberances;  but  most  of  them  are  smooth, 
rounded  at  one  end,  and  tapering  at  the  other  extremity. 
While  in  the  pupa  state,  these  insects  take  no  food,  and 
remain  perfectly  at  rest,  or  only  move  the  hinder  extremity  of 
the  body  when  touched.  After  a  while,  however,  the  chrysalis 
begins  to  swell  and  contract,  till  the  skin  is  rent  over  the  back, 
and  from  the  fissure  there  issues  the  head,  antennae,  and  body 
of  a  butterfly  or  moth.  When  it  first  emerges  from  its  pupa- 
skin  the  insect  is  soft,  moist,  and  weak,  and  its  wings  are 
small  and  shrivelled;  soon,  however,  the  wings  stretch  out  to 
their  full  dimensions,  the  superfluous  moisture  of  the  body 
passes  off",  and  the  limbs  acquire  their  proper  firmness  and 
elasticity. 

The  conversion  of  a  caterpillar  to  a  moth  or  butterfly  is  a 
transformation  of  the  most  complete  kind.  The  form  of  the 
body  is  altered,  some  of  the  legs  disappear,  the  others  and  the 
antennae  become  much  longer  than  before,  and  four  wings  are 
acquired.  Moreover  the  mouth  and  digestive  organs  undergo 
a  total  change;  for  the  insect,  after  its  final  transformation,  is 
no  longer  fitted  to  subsist  upon  the  same  gross  aliment  as  it 
did  in  the  caterpillar  state;  its  powerful  jaws  have  disappeared. 


228  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  instead  tliereof  wc  find  a  slender  tongue,  by  means  of 
wliich  liquid  nourishment  is  conveyed  to  the  mouth  of  the 
insect,  and  its  stomach  becomes  capable  of  digesting  only 
water  and  the  honeyed  juice  of  flowers. 

Ceasing  to  increase  in  size,  and  destined  to  live  but  a  short 
time  after  their  final  transformation,  butterflies  and  moths 
spend  this  brief  period  of  their  existence  in  flitting  from  flower 
to  flower  and  regaling  themselves  with  their  sweets,  or  in 
slaking  their  thirst  with  dew  or  with  the  water  left  standing 
in  puddles  after  showers,  in  pairing  with  their  mates,  and  in 
laying  their  eggs;  after  which  they  die  a  natural  death,  or  fall 
a  prey  to  their  numerous  enemies. 

These  insects  belong  to  an  order  called  Lepidoptera,  which 
means  scaly  wings  ;  for  the  mealy  powder  with  which  their 
wings  are  covered,  when  seen  under  a  powerful  microscope,  is 
found  to  consist  of  little  scales,  lapping  over  each  other  like 
the  scales  of  fishes,  and  implanted  into  the  skin  of  the  wings 
by  short  stems.  The  body  of  these  insects  is  also  more  or  less 
covered  with  the  same  kind  of  scales,  together  with  hair  or 
down  in  some  species.  The  tongue  consists  of  two  tubular 
threads  placed  side  by  side,  and  thus  forming  an  instrument 
for  suction,  which,  when  not  in  use,  is  rolled  up  spirally  beneath 
the  head,  and  is  more  or  less  covered  and  concealed  on  each 
side  by  a  little  scaly  or  hairy  jointed  feeler.  The  shoulders  or 
wing-joints  of  the  fore  wings  are  covered,  on  each  side,  by  a 
small  triangular  piece,  forming  a  kind  of  epaulette,  or  shoulder- 
cover~;  and  between  the  head  and  the  thorax  is  a  narrow  piece, 
clothed  with  scales  or  hairs  sloping  backwards,  which  may  be 
called  the  collar.  The  wings  have  a  few  branching  veins, 
generally  forming  one  or  two  large  meshes  on  the  middle. 
The  legs  are  six  in  number,  though  only  four  are  used  in 
walking  by  some  butterflies,  in  which  the  first  pair  are  very 
short  and  arc  folded  like  a  tippet  on  the  breast ;  and  the  feet 
are  five-jointed,  and  are  terminated,  each,  by  a  pair  of  claws. 

It  would  be  difficult,  and  indeed  impossible,  to  arrange  the 
Lepidopterous  insects  according  to  their  forms,  appearance, 
and  habits,  in  the  caterpillar  state,  because  the  caterpillars  of 
many  of  them  are  as  yet  unknown ;  and  therefore  it  is  found 


LEPIDOPTERA.  229 

expedient  to  classify  them  mostly  according  to  the  characters 
furnished  by  them  in  the  winged  state. 

We  may  first  divide  the  Lepidoptera  into  three  great  sections, 
called  butterflies,  hawk-moths,  and  moths,  corresponding  to 
the  genera  Papilio,  Sphinx,  and  Phalccna  of  Linnseus. 

The  Butterflies  [Papiliones)  have  threadlike  antennas, 
which  are  knobbed  at  the  end ;  the  fore  wings  in  some,  and  all 
the  wings  in  the  greater  number,  are  elevated  perpendicularly 
and  turned  back  to  back,  when  at  rest ;  they  have  generally 
two  little  spurs  on  the  hind  legs ;  and  they  fly  by  day  only. 

The  Hawk-Moths  {Sphinges)  generally  have  the  antennae 
thickened  in  the  middle,  and  tapering  at  each  end,  and  most 
often  hooked  at  the  tip ;  the  wings  are  narrow  in  proportion 
to  their  length,  and  are  confined  together  by  a  bristle  or  bunch 
of  stiff*  hairs  on  the  shoulder  of  each  hind  wing,  which  is 
retained  by  a  corresponding  hook  on  the  under  side  of  each 
fore  wing ;  all  the  wings,  when  at  rest,  are  more  or  less 
inclined  like  a  roof,  the  upper  ones  covering  the  lower  wings ; 
there  are  two  pairs  of  spurs  on  the  hind  legs ;  a  few  fly  by 
day,  but  the  greater  number  in  the  morning  and  evening 
twilight. 

In  the  Moths  {Phalccna;)  the  antenuEe  are  neither  knobbed 
at  the  end  nor  thickened  in  the  middle,  but  taper  from  the  base 
to  the  extremity,  and  are  either  naked,  like  a  bristle,  or  are 
feathered  on  each  side ;  the  wings  are  confined  together  by 
bristles  and  hooks,  the  first  pair  covering  the  hind  wings,  and 
are  more  or  less  sloping  when  at  rest;  and  there  are  two  pairs 
of  spurs  to  the  hind  legs.     These  insects  fly  mostly  by  night. 

I.     BUTTERFLIES.     (Papiliones.) 

Besides  the  characters  already  given,  which  distinguish  this 
section  of  the  Lepidoptera,  it  may  be  stated  that  their 
caterpillars  always  have  sixteen  legs,  namely  two,  which  are 
tapering,  jointed,  and  scaly,  to  each  of  the  first  three  segments 
behind  the  head,  and  a  pair  of  thick  fleshy  legs,  without  joints, 
to  all  the  remaining  segments,  except  the  fourth,  fifth,  tenth, 
and  eleventh. 


230  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  ^TLGETATION. 

The  butterflies  are  divisible  into  two  tribes;  namely,  the 
true  butterflies,  which  carry  all  their  wings  upright  when  at 
rest ;  and  the  skippers,  which  have  only  the  fore  wings  upright, 
the  hind  wings  being  nearly  horizontal  when  at  rest. 

1.     Butterflies. 

In  these  insects,  all  the  wings  are  erect  when  at  rest,  and 
the  antennae  are  knobbed,  but  never  hooked,  at  the  end.  Their 
caterpillars  have  a  head  of  moderate  size,  suspend  themselves 
by  the  tail  when  about  to  transform,  and  are  not  enclosed  in 
cocoons.  Some  of  these  butterflies  have  the  six  legs  all  equally 
fitted  for  walking ;  their  caterpillars  are  more  or  less  cylindrical, 
and  secure  themselves  by  a  transverse  band,  as  well  as  by  the 
tail,  previously  to  their  transformation  to  chrysalids ;  and  the 
latter  are  angular.  All  these  characters  exist  in  the  following 
species. 

In  the  month  of  June,  there  may  be  found,  on  the  leaves  of 
the  parsley  and  carrot,  certain  caterpillars,  more  commonly 
called  parsley-worms,  which  are  somewhat  swelled  towards 
the  fore  part  of  the  body,  but  taper  a  little  behind.  When  first 
hatched,  they  are  less  than  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  are 
of  a  black  color,  with  a  broad  white  band  across  the  middle, 
and  another  on  the  tail ;  and  the  back  is  studded  with  little 
black  projecting  points.  After  they  have  increased  in  size 
and  have  cast  their  coats,  it  is  found  that  the  white  band 
covers  only  the  sixth  and  seventh  segments,  that  the  black 
projecting  points  spring  from  spots  of  an  orange  color,  and  on 
the  lower  part  of  the  sides  is  a  row  of  white  spots,  two  more 
spots  of  the  same  color  on  the  top  of  the  first  segment,  and 
one  larger  spot  on  the  tail.  These  caterpillars  alter  in  color 
and  appearance  with  each  successive  moulting,  and,  before 
they  are  half  grown,  the  projecting  points  and  the  white  band 
and  spots  entirely  disappear,  the  skin  becomes  perfectly 
smooth  and  of  a  delicate  apple-green  color,  rather  paler  at  the 
sides  of  the  body,  and  whitish  beneath,  and  on  each  segment 
there  is  a  transverse  band  consisting  of  black  and  yellow  spots 
alternately  arranged.     When  touched,  they  thrust  forth,  from 


LEPIDOPTERA.  231 

a  slit  in  the  first  segment  of  the  body  just  behind  the  head,  a 
pair  of  soft  orange-colored  horns,  growing  together  at  the 
bottom,  and  somewhat  like  the  letter  Y  in  form.  The  horns 
are  scent-organs,  and  give  out  a  strong  and  disagreeable  smell, 
perceptible  at  some  distance,  and  seem  to  be  designed  to 
defend  the  caterpillars  from  the  annoying  attacks  of  flies  and 
ichneumons.  These  caterpillars  usually  come  to  their  full 
size  between  the  tenth  and  twentieth  of  July,  and  then 
measure  about  one  inch  and  a  half  in  length.  After  this,  they 
leave  off"  eating,  desert  the  plants,  and  each  one  seeks  some 
sheltered  spot,  such  as  the  side  of  a  building  or  fence,  or  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  where  it  prepares  for  its  transformation.  It 
first  spins  a  little  web  or  tuft  of  silk  against  the  surface 
whereon  it  is  resting,  and  entangles  the  hooks  of  its  hindmost 
feet  in  it,  so  as  to  fix  them  securely  to  the  spot ;  it  then  proceeds 
to  make  a  loop  or  girth  of  many  silken  threads  bent  into  the 
form  of  the  letter  U,  the  ends  of  which  are  fastened  to  the 
surface  on  which  it  rests  on  each  side  of  the  middle  of  its 
body ;  and  under  this,  when  finished,  it  passes  its  head,  and 
gradually  works  the  loop  over  its  back,  so  as  to  support  the 
body  and  prevent  it  from  falling  downwards.  Though  it 
generally  prefers  a  vertical  surface  on  which  to  fasten  itself  in 
an  upright  posture,  it  sometimes  selects  the  under  side  of  a 
limb  or  of  a  projecting  ledge,  where  it  hangs  suspended,  nearly 
horizontally,  by  its  feet  and  the  loop.  Within  twenty-four 
hours  after  it  has  taken  its  station,  the  caterpillar  casts  off"  its 
caterpillar-skin  and  becomes  a  chrysalis,  or  pupa,  of  a  pale 
green,  ochre-yellow,  or  ash-gray  color,  with  two  short  earlike 
projections  above  the  head,  just  below  which,  on  the  upper 
part  of  the  back,  is  a  little  prominence  like  a  pug  nose.  The 
chrysalis  hangs  in  the  same  way  as  the  caterpillar,  and  remains 
in  this  state  from  nine  to  fifteen  days,  according  to  the 
temperature  of  the  atmosphere,  cold  and  wet  weather  having 
a  tendency  to  prolong  the  period.  When  this  is  terminated, 
the  skin  of  the  chrysalis  bursts  open,  and  a  butterfly  issues 
from  it,  clings  to  the  empty  shell  till  its  crumpled  and  drooping 
wings  have  extended  to  their  full  dimensions,  and  have  become 


232  INSECTS  INJUKIOUS  TO  YEGETATION. 

dried,  upon  which  it  flies  away  in  pursuit  of  companions  and 
food. 

This  butterfly  is  the  Papilio  Asterias  of  Cramer.  It  is  of  a 
blaclv  color,  with  a  double  row  of  yellow  dots  on  the  back ;  a 
broad  band,  composed^of  yellow  spots,  across  the  wings,  and  a 
row  of  yellow  spots  near  the  hind  margin  ;  the  hind  wings  are 
tailed,  and  have  seven  blue  spots  between  the  yellow  band  and 
the  outer  row  of  yellow  spots,  and,  near  their  hinder  angle,  an 
eye-like  spot  of  an  orange  color  with  a  black  centre ;  and  the 
spots  of  the  under  side  are  tawny  orange.  The  female  differs 
from  the  male,  above  described,  in  having  only  a  few  small 
and  distinct  yellow  spots  on  the  upper  side  of  the  wings. 
The  wings  of  this  butterfly  expand  from  three  and  a  half  to 
four  inches. 

During  the  month  of  July,  the  Asterias  butterflies  may  be 
seen  in  great  abundance  upon  flowers,  and  particularly  on 
those  of  the  sweet-scented  Phlox.  They  lay  their  eggs,  in  this 
and  the  following  month,  on  various  umbellate  plants,  placing 
them  singly  on  different  parts  of  the  leaves  and  stems.  I  have 
found  the  caterpillars  on  the  parsley,  carrot,  parsnip,  celery, 
anise,  dill,  caraway,  and  fennel  of  our  gardens,  as  well  as  on 
the  conium,  cicuta,  slum,  and  other  native  plants  of  the  same 
natural  family,  which  originally  constituted  the  appropriate 
food  of  these  insects,  before  the  exotic  species  fiu-nished  them 
with  a  greater  variety  and  abundance.  Their  injury  to  these 
cultivated  plants  is  by  no  means  inconsiderable ;  they  not 
only  eat  the  leaves,  but  are  particularly  fond  of  the  blossoms 
and  young  seeds.  I  have  taken  twenty  caterpillars  on  one 
plant  of  parsley  which  was  going  to  seed.  The  eggs  laid  in 
July,  and  August,  are  hatched  soon  afterwards,  and  the 
caterpillars  con^Q  to  their  growth  towards  the  end  of  September, 
or  the  beginning  of  October ;  they  then  suspend  themselves, 
become  cln-ysahds,  in  which  state  they  remain  during  the 
winter,  and  are  not  transformed  to  butterflies  till  the  last  of 
May  or  the  beginning  of  June  in  the  following  year. 

I  know  of  no  method  so  effectual  for  destroying  these 
caterpillars  as  gathering  them  by  hand  and  crushing  them. 


LEPIDOPTERA. 

An  expert  person  will  readily  detect  them  by  their  ravages  on 
the  plants  which  they  inhabit;  and  a  few  minutes  devoted, 
every  day  or  two,  to  a  careful  search  in  the  garden,  during  the 
season  of  their  depredations,  will  suffice  to  remove  them 
entirely. 

In  Europe  there  are  several  kinds  of  caterpillars  which  live 
exclusively  on  the  cruciferous  or  oleraceous  plants,  such  as 
the  cabbage,  broccoli,  cauliflower,  kale,  radish,  turnip,  and 
mustard,  and  oftentimes  do  considerable  injury  to  them.  The 
prevailing  color  of  these  caterpillars  is  green,  and  that  of  the 
butterflies  produced  from  them,  white.  They  belong  to  a 
genus  called  Pontia ;  in  which  the  hind  wings  are  not  scol- 
loped nor  tailed,  but  are  rounded  and  entire  on  the  edges,  and 
are  grooved  on  the  inner  edge  to  receive  the  abdomen ;  the 
feelers  are  rather  slender,  but  project  beyond  the  head  ;  and 
the  antennas  have  a  short  flattened  knob ;  their  caterpillars  are 
nearly  cylindrical,  taper  a  very  little  towards  each  end,  and 
are  sparingly  clothed  with  short  down,  which  requires  a  micro- 
scope to  be  distinctly  seen ;  they  suspend  themselves  by  the 
tail  and  a  transverse  loop ;  and  their  chrysalids  are  angular  at 
the  sides,  and  pointed  at  both  ends. 

In  the  northern  and  western  parts  of  Massachusetts  there  is 
a  white  butterfly,  which,  in  all  its  states,  agrees  with  the  fore- 
going characters.  It  is  the  Pontia  oleracea,  potherb  Pontia,  or 
white  butterfly,  and  was  first  described  by  me  in  the  year 
1829,  in  the  seventh  volume  of  the  "  New  England  Farmer."* 
About  the  last  of  May,  and  the  beginning  of  June,  it  is  seen 
fluttering  over  cabbage,  radish,  and  turnip  beds,  and  patches 
of  mustard,  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  its  eggs.  These  are 
fastened  to  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves,  and  but  seldom  more 
than  three  or  four  are  left  upon  one  leaf.  The  eggs  are  yel- 
lowish, nearly  pear-shaped,  longitudinally  ribbed,  and  are  one 
fifteenth  of  an  inch  in  length.  They  are  hatched  in  a  week  or 
ten  days  after  they  are  laid,  and  the  caterpillars  produced  from 
them  attain  their  full  size  when  three  weeks  old,  and  then 

*  Page  402.     For  a  figure  of  it,  see  "Lake  Superior,"  by  Agassiz  &  Cabot, 
pi.  7,  tig.  1. 

30 


234  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

measure  about  one  inch  and  a  half  in  length.     Being  of  a  pale 
green  color,  they  are  not  readily  distinguished  from  the  ribs  of 
the  leaves  beneath  which  they  live.     They  do  not  devour  the 
leaf  at  its  edge,  but  begin  indiscriminately  upon  any  part  of 
its  under  side,  through  which  they  eat  irregular  holes.     When 
they  have  completed  the  feeding  stage,  they  quit  the  plants, 
and  retire  beneath  palings,  or  the  edges  of  stones,  or  into  the 
interstices  of  walls,  where  they  spin  a  little  tuft  of  silk,  entangle 
the  hooks  of  their  hindmost  feet  in  it,  and  then  proceed  to  form 
a  loop  to  sustain  the   fore  part  of  the  body  in  a  horizontal  or 
vertical  position.    Bending  its  head  on  one  side,  the  caterpillar 
fastens  to  the  surface,  beneath  the  middle  of  its  body,  a  silken 
thread,  which  it  carries  across  its  back  and  secures  on  the 
other  side,  and  repeats  this  operation  till  the  united  threads 
have  formed  a  band  or  loop  of  sufficient  strength.     On  the 
next  day  it  casts  off*  the  caterpillar  skin,  and  becomes  a  chry- 
salis.    This  is  sometimes  of  a  pale  green,  and  sometimes  of  a 
white  color,  regularly,  and  finely  dotted  with  black ;  the  sides 
of  the  body  are  angular,  the  head  is  surmounted  by  a  conical 
tubercle,  and  over  the  fore  part  of  the  body,  corresponding  to 
the  thorax  of  the  included  butterfly,  is  a  thin  projection,  having 
in  profile  some  resemblance  to  a  Roman  nose.     The  chrysalis 
state  lasts  eleven  days,  at  the  expiration  of  which  the  insect 
comes  forth  a  butterfly.    The  wings  are  white,  but  dusky  next 
to  the  body ;  the  tips  of  the  upper  ones  are  yellowish  beneath, 
with  dusky  veins ;  the  under  side  of  the  hinder  wings  is  straw- 
colored,  with  broad  dusky  veins,  and  the  angles  next  to  the 
body  are  deep  yellow ;  the  back  is  black,  and  the  antennfe  are 
blackish,  with  narrow  white  rings,  and  ochre-yellow  at  the  tips. 
The  wings  expand  about  two  inches.     I  have  seen  these  but- 
terflies in  great  abundance  during  the  latter  part  of  July,  and 
the  beginning  of  August,  in  pairs,  or  laying  their  eggs  for  a 
second  brood  of  caterpillars.     The  chrysalids  produced  from 
this  autumnal  brood  survive  the  winter,  and  the  butterflies  are 
not  disclosed  from  them  till  May  or  June.      In  gardens  or 
fields  infested  by  the  caterpillars,  boards,  placed  horizontally 
an  inch  or  two  above  the  surface  of  the  soil,  will  be  resorted, 
to  by  them  when  they  are  about  to  change  to  chrysalids,  and 


LEPIDOPTERA.  235 

here  it  will  be  easy  to  find,  collect,  and  destroy  them,  either  in 
the  caterpillar  or  chrysalis  state.  The  butterflies  also  may 
easily  be  taken  by  a  large  and  deep  bag-net  of  muslin,  attached 
to  a  handle  of  five  or  six  feet  in  length  ;  for  they  fly  low  and 
lazily,  especially  when  busy  in  laying  their  eggs.  In  Europe 
the  caterpillars  of  the  white  butterflies  are  eaten  by  the  larger 
titmouse  {Parus  major),  and  probably  our  own  titmouse  or 
chickadee,  with  other  insect-eating  birds,  will  be  found  equally 
useful,  if  properly  protected. 

We  have  several  kinds  of  small  six-footed  butterflies,  some 
of  which  are  found,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  summer,  in 
the  fields  and  around  the  edges  of  woods,  flying  low  and  fre- 
quently alighting,  and  oftentimes  collected  together  in  little 
swarms  on  the  flowers  of  the  clover,  mint,  and  other  sweet- 
scented  plants.  Their  caterpillars  secure  themselves  by  the 
hind  feet  and  a  loop,  when  about  to  transform ;  but  they  are 
very  short  and  almost  oval,  flat  below  and  more  or  less  convex 
above,  with  a  small  head,  which  is  concealed  under  the  first 
ring ;  and  the  feet,  which  are  sixteen  in  nvimber,  are  so  short, 
that  these  caterpillars  in  moving  seem  to  glide  rather  than 
creep.  The  chrysalids  are  short  and  thick,  with  the  under  side 
flat,  the  upper  side  very  convex,  and  both  extremities  rounded 
or  obtuse.  They  belong  to  a  little  group  which  may  be  called 
Lycenians  (Lycenad-e),  from  the  principal  genus  included 
in  it. 

The  heads  of  the  common  hop  are  frequently  eaten  by  the 
little  green  and  downy  caterpillars  of  a  very  pretty  butterfly, 
which  has  been  mistaken  for  the  Thecla  Favonius,  figured  in 
Mr.  Abbott's  "Natural  History  of  the  Insects  of  Georgia;" 
but  it  differs  from  it  in  so  many  respects,  that  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  give  it  another  name,  and  will  therefore  call  it  the  hop-vine 
Thecla,  Thecla  Humiili*  The  wings  on  the  upper  side  are 
dusky  brown,  with  a  tint  of  blue-gray,  and,  in  the  males,  there 
is  an  oval  darker  spot  near  the  front  edge  ;  the  hind  wings 

*  M.  Boisduval  has  figured  and  described  this  species  under  the  name  of 
Thecla  Favonius,  in  his  "  Histoire  dcs  Lepldoptcres  de  I'Amerique  Septentrio- 
nale." 


236  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

have  two  short,  thread-like  tails,  the  inner  one  the  longest,  and 
tipped  with  white  ;  along  the  hind  margin  of  these  same  wings 
is  a  row  of  little  pale  blue  spots,  interrupted  by  a  large  orange- 
red  orescent  enclosing  a  small  black  spot ;  the  wings  beneath 
are  slate-gray,  with  two  wavy  streaks  of  brown  edged  on  one 
side  with  white,  and  on  the  hind  wings  an  orange-colored  spot 
near  the  hind  angle,  and  a  larger  spot  of  the  same  color  en- 
closing a  black  dot  just  before  the  tails.  It  expands  one  inch 
and  one  tenth. 

Some  butterflies  have  the  first  pair  of  legs  so  much  shorter 
than  the  others,  that  they  cannot  be  used  in  walking,  and  are 
folded  on  the  breast  like  a  tippet.  Their  caterpillars,  when 
about  to  transform,  do  not  make  a  loop  to  support  the  fore 
part  of  the  body,  but  suspend  themselves  vertically  by  the 
hindmost  feet.  As  they  all  secure  themselves  pretty  much  in 
the  same  way,  it  may  be  proper  to  explain  the  process.  Hav- 
ing finished  eating,  the  caterpillar  wanders  about  till  it  has 
discovered  a  suitable  situation  in  which  to  pass  through  its 
transformations.  This  may  be  the  under  side  of  a  branch  or 
of  a  leaf,  or  any  other  horizontal  object  beneath  which  it  can 
find  suflicient  room  for  its  future  operations.  Here  it  spins  a 
web  or  tuft  of  silk,  fastening  it  securely  to  the  surface  beneath 
which  it  is  resting,  entangles  the  hooks  of  its  hindmost  feet 
among  the  threads,  and  then  contracts  its  body  and  lets  itself 
drop  so  as  to  hang  suspended  by  the  hind  feet  alone,  the  head 
and  fore  part  of  the  body  being  curved  upwards  in  the  form  of 
a  hook.  After  some  hours,  the  skin  over  the  bent  part  of  the 
body  is  rent,  the  fore  part  of  the  chi^salis  protrudes  from  the 
fissure,  and,  by  a  Avriggling  kind  of  motion,  the  caterpillar-skin 
is  slipped  backwards  till  only  the  extremity  of  the  chrysalis 
remains  attached  to  it.  The  chrysalis  has  now  to  release 
itself  entirely  from  the  caterpillar-skin,  which  is  gathered  in 
folds  around  its  tail,  and  to  make  itself  fast  to  the  silken  tuft 
by  the  minute  hooks  with  which  the  hinder  extremity  is 
provided.  Not  having  the  assistance  of  a  transverse  loop  to 
support  its  body  while  it  disengages  its  tail,  the  attempt  would 
seem  perilous  in  the  extreme,  if  not  impossible.  Without, 
having  witnessed  the  operation,  we  should  suppose  that  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  237 

insect  would  inevitably  fall,  while  endeavoring  to  accomplish 
its  object.  But,  although  unprovided  with  ordinary  limbs,  it 
is  not  left  without  the  means  to  extricate  itself  from  its  present 
difficulty.  The  hinder  and  tapering  part  of  the  chrysalis  con- 
sists of  several  rings  or  segments,  so  joined  together  as  to  be 
capable  of  moving  from  side  to  side  upon  each  other;  and 
these  supply  to  it  the  place  of  hands.  By  bending  together 
two  of  these  rings  near  the  middle  of  the  body,  the  chrysalis 
seizes,  in  the  crevice  between  them,  a  portion  of  the  empty 
caterpillar-skin,  and  clings  to  it  so  as  to  support  itself  while  it 
withdraws  its  tail  from  the  remainder  of  the  skin.  It  is  now 
wholly  out  of  the  skin,  to  which  it  hangs  suspended  by  nipping 
together  the  rings  of  its  body;  but,  as  the  chrysalis  is  much 
shorter  than  the  caterpillar,  it  is  yet  at  some  distance  from  the 
tuft  of  sillv,  to  which  it  must  climb  before  it  can  fix  in  it  the 
hooks  of  its  hinder  extremity.  To  do  this,  it  extends  the  rings 
of  its  body  as  far  apart  as  possible,  then,  bending  together  two 
of  them  above  those  by  which  it  is  suspended,  it  catches  hold 
of  the  skin  higher  up,  at  the  same  time  letting  go  below,  and, 
by  repeating  this  process  with  different  rings  in  succession,  it 
at  length  reaches  the  tuft  of  silk,  entangles  its  hooks  among 
the  threads,  and  then  hangs  suspended  without  further  risk  of 
falling.  It  next  contrives  to  dislodge  the  cast  caterpillar-skin 
by  whirling  itself  around  repeatedly,  till  the  old  skin  is  finally 
loosened  from  its  attachment  and  falls  to  the  ground.  The 
whole  of  this  operation,  difficult  as  it  may  seem,  is  performed 
in  the  space  of  a  very  few  minutes,  and  rarely  does  the  insect 
fail  to  accomplish  it  successfully  and  safely. 

The  caterpillars  of  many  of  the  four-footed  butterflies  are 
spiny,  or  have  their  backs  armed  with  numerous  projecting 
points ;  these,  in  some,  are  short,  and  soft,  and  beset  all  around 
with  very  small  stiff  hairs,  in  others  they  are  long,  hard,  and 
sharp  prickles,  which  generally  are  furnished  with  little  stiff 
branches.  The  butterflies  have  the  knobs  of  the  antennae 
short  and  broad;  the  feelers  are  rather  long,  and  placed  close 
together,  at  the  base  at  least;  the  inner  margin  of  the  hind 
wings  is  folded  downwards,  and  grooved  for  the  reception  of 
the  body ;  the  central  mesh  of  these  wings  is  not  closed  behind ; 


238  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  the  nails  of  the  four  hind  feet  are  divided  so  as  to  appear 
double.  This  group  may  be  called  Vanessians  (Vanessad^). 
In  the  butterflies  belonging  to  the  genus  Vanessa,  the  wings 
are  jagged  or  tailed  on  the  hind  edges.  The  under  side  of 
the  hind  wings,  in  many,  is  marked  with  a  golden  or  silvery 
character  in  the  middle ;  the  feelers  are  long,  curving,  and 
contiguous,  and  form  a  kind  of  projecting  beak.  The  head  of 
the  chrysalis  is  deeply  notched  or  furnished  with  two  ear-like 
prominences;  the  sides  are  very  angular;  on  the  middle  of  the 
thorax  there  is  a  thin  projection,  in  profile  somewhat  like  a 
Roman  nose ;  and  on  the  back  are  two  rows  of  very  sharp 
tubercles  of  a  golden  color.  The  caterpillars  are  cylindrical, 
and  armed  with  branching  spines;  they  live  in  company,  at 
least  during  the  early  period  of  their  existence,  and  do  not 
conceal  themselves  under  a  web  or  within  a  folded  leaf. 

Vanessa  Anliopa.     L.     Antiopa  butterfly. 

Wings  purplish  brown  above,  with  a  broad  buff-yellow 
margirj,  near  the  inner  edge  of  which  there  is  a  row  of  pale 
blue  spots.     Expands  from  3  to  3|-  inches. 

This  butterfly  passes  the  winter  in  some  sheltered  place  in  a 
partially  torpid  state.  I  have  found  it  in  mid-winter  sticking 
to  the  rafters  of  a  barn,  and  in  the  crevices  of  walls  and  stone- 
heaps,  huddled  together  in  great  numbers,  with  the  wings 
doubled  together  above  the  back,  and  apparently  benumbed 
and  lifeless ;  but  it  soon  recovers  its  activity  on  being  exposed 
to  warmth.  It  comes  out  of  its  winter  quarters  very  early  in 
spring,  often  before  the  snow  has  entirely  left  the  ground,  but 
with  ragged  and  faded  wings ;  and  may  be  seen  sporting  in 
warm  and  shelfercd  spots  in  the  beginning  of  March,  and 
through  the  months  of  April  and  May.  Wilson,  in  his  beau- 
tiful lines  on  the  blue-bird,  alludes  to  its  early  coming  in  the 
spring, 

"When  first  the  lone  butterfly  flits  on  the  wing." 

The  caterpillars  of  the  Antiopa  butterfly  live  together  in 
great  numbers  on  the  poplar,  willow,  and  elm,  on  which  the 
first  broods  may  be  found  early  in  June.     They  are  black, 


LEPIDOPTERA.  2S9 

minutely  dotted  with  white,  with  a  row  of  eight  dark  brick-red 
spots  on  the  top  of  the  back.  The  head  is  black  and  rough 
with  projecting  points;  the  spines,  of  which  there  are  six  or 
seven  on  each  segment,  except  the  first,  are  black,  stiff,  and 
branched,  and  the  intermediate  legs  are  reddish.  When  fully 
grown  they  measure  an  inch  and  three  quarters  in  length,  and 
appear  very  formidable  with  their  thorny  armature,  which  is 
doubtless  intended  to  defend  them  from  their  enemies.  It  was 
formerly  supposed  that  they  were  venomous,  and  capable  of 
inflicting  dangerous  ^vounds;  and  within  my  remembrance 
many  persons  were  so  much  alarmed  on  this  account  as  to  cut 
down  all  the  poplar  trees  around  their  dwellings.  This  alarm 
was  unfounded ;  for,  although  there  are  some  caterpillars  that 
have  the  power  of  inflicting  venomous  wounds  with  their 
spines  and  hairs,  this  is  not  the  case  with  those  of  the  Antiopa 
butterfly.  The  only  injury  w^hich  can  be  laid  to  their  charge, 
is  that  of  despoiling  of  their  foliage  some  of  our  most  orna- 
mental trees,  and  this  is  enough  to  induce  us  to  take  all  proper 
measures  for  exterminating  the  insects,  short  of  destroying  the 
trees  that  they  infest.  I  have  sometimes  seen  them  in  such 
profusion  on  the  willow  and  elm,  that  the  limbs  bent  under 
their  weight;  and  the  long  leafless  branches,  which  they  had 
stripped  and  deserted,  gave  sufficient  proof  of  the  voracity  of 
these  caterpillars.  The  chrysalis  is  of  a  dark  brown  color, 
with  large  tawny  spots  around  the  pointed  tubercles  on  the 
back.  The  butterflies  come  forth  in  eleven  or  twelve  days 
after  the  insects  have  entered  upon  the  chrysalis  state,  and 
this  occurs  in  the  beginning  of  July.  A  second  brood  of 
caterpillars  is  produced  in  August,  and  they  pass  through  all 
their  changes  before  winter. 

Vanessa  Interrogationis.     F.     Semicolon  butterfly. 

Wings  on  the  upper  side  tawny  orange,  with  brown  spots 
running  together  on  the  hinder  part,  and  with  black  spots  in 
the  middle ;  hind  wings  in  the  male  most  often  black  above, 
except  at  the  base,  and  sometimes  of  this  color  in  the  other 
sex  also  ;  the  edges  and  the  tails  glossed  with  reddish  white ; 
under  side  of  the  wings  in  some  rust-red,  in  others  marbled 


240  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

with  light  and  dark  brown,  glossed  with  reddish  white,  and 
with  a  pale  gold-colored  semicolon  on  the  middle  of  the  hinder 
pair.     Expands  from  2|-  to  2|  inches,  or  more. 

The  paly  gold  character  beneath  the  hind  wings  has  much 
more  nearly  the  shape  of  a  semicolon  than  of  a  note  of  inter- 
rogation ;  for  which  reason  I  have  called  this  the  semicolon 
butterfly,  instead  of  translating  the  specific  name.  It  first 
appears  in  May,  and  again  in  August  and  September,  and  is 
frequently  seen  on  the  wing,  in  warm  and  sunny  places,  till 
the  middle  of  October.  The  caterpillars  live  on  the  American 
elm  and  lime  trees,  and  also  on  the  hop-vine,  and  on  the  latter 
they  sometimes  abound  to  such  a  degree  as  totally  to  destroy 
the  produce  of  the  plant.  In  the  latter  part  of  August  the 
hop-vine  caterpillars  come  to  their  full  growth,  and  suspend 
themselves  beneath  the  leaves  and  stems  of  the  plant,  and 
change  to  chrysalids.  This  fact  affords  a  favorable  opportunity 
for  destroying  the  insects  in  this  their  stationary  and  helpless 
stage,  at  some  loss,  however,  of  the  produce  of  the  vines, 
which,  when  the  insects  have  become  chrysalids,  should  be  cut 
down,  stripped  of  the  fruit  that  is  sufficiently  ripened,  and  then 
burnt.  There  is  probably  an  early  brood  of  caterpillars  in  June 
or  July,  but  I  have  not  seen  any  on  the  hop-vine  before 
August,  the  former  are  therefore  confined  to  the  elm  and  other 
plants,  in  all  probability.  The  caterpillar  is  brownish,  varie- 
gated with  pale  yellow,  or  pale  yellow  variegated  with  brown, 
with  a  yellowish  line  on  each  side  of  the  body ;  the  head  is 
. rust-red,  with  two  blackish  branched  spines  on  the  top;  and 
the  spines  of  the  body  are  pale  yellow  or  brownish  and  tipped 
with  black.  The  chrysalis  is  ashen  brown,  with  the  head 
deeply  notched,  and  surmounted  by  two  conical  ears,  a  long 
and  thin  nose-like  prominence  on  the  thorax,  and  eight  silvery 
spots  on  the  back.  The  chrysalis  state  usually  lasts  from 
eleven  to  fourteen  days;  but  the  later  broods  are  more  tardy 
in  their  transformations,  the  butterfly  sometimes  not  appearing 
in  less  than  twenty-six  days  after  the  change  to  the  chrysalis. 
Great  numbers  of  the  chrysalids  are  annually  destroyed  by 
little  maggots  within  them,  which,  in  due  time,  are  transformed 
to  tiny  four-winged  flies  [Pteromaliis  Vanessce),  which  make 


LEPIDOPTERA.  241 

their  escape  by  eating  little  holes  through  the  sides  of  the 
chrysalis.  I'hey  are  ever  on  the  watch  to  lay  their  eggs  on 
the  caterpillars  of  this  butterfly,  and  are  so  small  as  easily  to 
avoid  being  wounded  by  the  branching  spines  of  their  victims. 

Vanessa  Comma.     Comma  butterfly. 

Upper  side  tawny  orange;  fore  wings  bordered  behind  and 
spotted  with  black;  hind  wings  shaded  behind  with  dark 
brown,  with  two  black  spots  on  the  middle,  and  three  more 
in  a  transverse  line  from  the  front  edge,  and  a  row  of  bright 
orange-colored  spots  before  the  hind  margin;  hind  edges  of 
the  wings  powdered  with  reddish  white;  under  side  marbled 
with  light  and  dark  brown,  the  hinder  wings  with  a  silvery 
comma  in  the  middle.     Expands  from  21  to  2|  inches. 

This  butterfly  very  closely  resembles  the  white  C.  ( C.  album) 
of  Europe,  for  which  it  has  probably  been  mistaken.  On  a 
close  and  careful  comparison  of  several  specimens  of  both 
together,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  American  Coinma  is  a  dis- 
tinct species,  and  the  hinder  edges  of  the  wings,  which  are  not 
so  deeply  indented,  wiU  at  once  serve  to  distinguish  it.  I  have 
therefore  now  named  and  described  it  for  the  first  time.  The 
caterpillar  lives  upon  the  hop,  and,  as  nearly  as  I  can  recollect, 
has  a  general  resemblance  to  that  of  the  semicolon  butterfly. 
The  chrysalis  is  brownish  gray,  or  white  variegated  with  pale 
brown,  and  ornamented  with  golden  spots;  there  are  two 
conical  ear-like  projections  on  the  top  of  the  head,  and  the 
prominence  on  the  thorax  is  shorter  and  thicker  than  that  of  • 
the  semicolon  butterfly,  and  more  like  a  parrot's  beak  in  shape. 
The  butterflies  appear  first  in  the  beginning  of  May;  I  have 
obtained  them  from  the  chrysalids  in  the  middle  of  July,  and 
on  the  first  of  September. 

Vanessa  Prog-ne*    F.     Progne  butterfly. 
Upper  side  tawny  orange ;  fore  wings  bordered  and  spotted 
with  black;  hind  wings  blackish  on  the  posterior  half,  with 

*  Mr.  Kirby,  whose  work  on  the  insects  of  North  America  abounds  in  mis- 
takes, has  redescribed  this  old  and  well-known  species  under  the  name  of 
Vanessa  C.  argenteum. 

31 


242  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

two  black  spots  before  the  middle,  and  a  row  of  small  orange- 
colored  spots  before  the  hind  margin ;  tails  and  posterior  edges 
of  the  wings  powdered  with  reddish  white ;  under  side  gray, 
with  fine  blackish  streaks,  and  an  angular  silvery  character 
somewhat  in  the  form  of  the  letter  L  on  the  middle  of  the 
hind  wings.     Expands  from  1|^  to  2|-  inches. 

This  butterfly  appears  in  August,  and  probably  also  at  other 
times.  Though  very  much  like  the  preceding  in  general  ap- 
pearance, it  is  readily  distinguished  from  it  by  the  darker  color 
of  the  hind  wings  and  the  angular  shape  of  the  silvery  char- 
acter on  their  under  side.  This  character  is  very  slender,  and 
is  sometimes  entirely  wanting.  I  have  raised  the  Progne  and 
Comma  butterflies  from  caterpillars  which  were  so  much  alike, 
that  I  am  not  certain  to  which  of  them  the  following  descrip- 
tion belongs.  These  caterpillars  were  found  on  the  American 
elm  in  August;  they  were  pale  yellow,  with  a  reddish  colored 
head,  white  branching  spines  tipped  with  black,  and  a  row  of 
four  rusty  spots  on  each  side  of  the  body.  They  were  sus- 
pended on  the  twenty-first  and  twenty-second  of  August, 
changed  to  chrysalids  within  twenty-four  hours,  and  were 
transformed  to  butterflies  sixteen  days  afterwards.  At  another 
time  a  Progne  butterfly  was  obtained  from  a  caterpillar,  which 
I  neglected  to  describe,  on  the  eighteenth  of  August,  the  chry- 
salis state  having  continued  only  eleven  days.  The  chrysalis 
is  brownish  gray,  with  silvery  spots  on  the  back,  a  short,  thick, 
and  rounded  nose-like  prominence  on  the  thorax,  and  the  two 
conical  double-pointed  horns  or  ears  on  the  head,  the  outer 
points  very  short,  and  the  inner  ones  longer  and  curving 
inwards. 

2.     Skippers.     [Hcsperiadcu.) 

The  butterflies  of  this  tribe  frequent  grassy  places,  and  low 
bushes  and  thickets,  flying  but  a  short  distance  at  a  time,  with 
a  jerking  motion,  whence  they  are  called  skippers  by  English 
\\Triters.  When  they  alight,  they  usually  keep  the  hind  wings 
extended  horizontally,  and  the  fore  wings  somewhat  raised,  but 
spreading  a  little,  and  not  entirely  closed,  as  in  other  butter- 
flies; some  of  them,  however,  have  all  the  wings  spread  open 


LEPIDOPTERA.  243 

when  at  rest,  and  there  are  others  in  which  they  are  all  elevated. 
Notwithstanding  this  difference  in  the  position  of  the  wings, 
the  Hesperians  all  have  certain  characters  in  common,  by 
which  they  are  readily  distinguished  from  other  butterflies. 
Their  bodies  are  short  and  thick,  with  a  large  head,  and  very 
prominent  eyes;  the  feelers  are  short,  almost  square  at  the 
end,  and  thickly  clothed  with  hairs,  which  give  them  a  clumsy 
appearance ;  the  antennse  are  short,  situated  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  each  other,  and  in  most  of  these  insects,  with 
the  knob  at  the  end  either  curved  like  a  hook,  or  ending  with 
a  little  point  bent  to  one  side ;  the  legs  are  six  in  number,  and 
the  four  hinder  shanks  are  armed  with  tsvo  pairs  of  spurs. 
Their  caterpillars  are  somewhat  spindle-shaped,  or  cylindrical 
in  the  middle,  and  tapering  at  each  extremity,  without  spines, 
and  generally  naked  or  merely  downy,  with  a  very  large  head 
and  a  small  neck.  They  are  solitary  in  their  habits,  and  many 
of  them  conceal  themselves  within  folded  leaves  like  the  cater- 
pillars of  the  thistle  and  nettle  butterflies  ( Cynthia  Cardui  and 
Atalanta),  and  undergo  their  transformations  within  an  enve- 
lope of  leaves  or  of  fragments  of  stubble  gathered  together 
with  silken  threads.  Their  chrysalids  are  generally  conical  or 
tapering  at  one  end,  and  rounded,  or  more  rarely  pointed,  at  the 
other,  never  angular  or  ornamented  with  golden  spots,  but  most 
often  covered  with  a  bluish  white  powder  or  bloom.  They  are 
mostly  fastened  by  the  tail  and  a  few  transverse  threads,  within 
some  folded  leaves,  which  are  connected  together  by  a  loose 
internal  web  of  threads,  forming  a  kind  of  imperfect  cocoon. 

In  the  skippers,  which  Dr.  Boisduval  arranges  under  the 
name  of  Eudamus^  the  knobs  of  the  antenna  are  very  long, 
gradually  taper  to  a  point,  and  are  suddenly  bent  like  a  hook 
in  the  middle;  the  front  edge  of  the  fore  wings,  in  the  males, 
is  doubled  over;  the  hind  wings  are  often  tailed,  or  are  fur- 
nished with  a  little  projection  on  the  hinder  angle;  the  fringes 
are  spotted;  and  all  the  wings  are  raised  when  at  rest. 

Eudamus  Tityrus.     F.     Tityrus  skipper. 
Wings  brown;  first  pair  with  a  transverse  semitransparent 
band  across  the  middle,  and  a  few  spots  towards  the  tip,  of  a 


244  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  \^GETATION. 

honey-yellow  color;  hind  wings  with  a  short  rounded  tail  on 
the  hind  angles,  and  a  broad  silvery  band  across  the  middle  of 
the  under  side.     Expands  from  2  to  2^  inches. 

This  large  and  beautiful  insect  makes  its  appearance,  from 
the  middle  of  June  till  after  the  beginning  of  July,  upon  sweet- 
scented  flowers,  which  it  visits  during  the  middle  of  the  day. 
Its  flight  is  vigorous  and  rapid,  and  its  strength  is  so  great 
that  it  cannot  be  captured  without  danger  of  its  being  greatly 
defaced  in  its  struggles  to  escape.  The  females  lay  their  eggs, 
singly,  on  the  leaves  of  the  common  locust-tree  [Robinia 
psemlacacia),  and  on  those  of  the  viscid  locust  {Robinia  vis- 
cosa),  which  is  much  cultivated  here  as  an  ornamental  tree. 
The  caterpillars  are  hatched  in  July,  and  when  quite  small 
conceal  themselves  under  a  fold  of  the  edge  of  a  leaf,  which  is 
bent  over  their  bodies  and  secured  by  means  of  silken  threads. 
When  they  become  larger  they  attach  two  or  more  leaves 
together,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  cocoon  or  leafy  case  to  shelter 
them  from  the  weather,  and  to  screen  them  from  the  prying 
eyes  of  birds.  The  full-grown  caterpillar,  which  attains  to  the 
length  of  about  two  inches,  is  of  a  pale  green  color,  trans- 
versely streaked  with  darker  green,  with  a  red  neck,  a  very 
large  head  roughened  with  minute  tubercles,  slightly  indented 
or  furrowed  above,  and  of  a  dull  red  color,  with  a  large  yellow 
spot  on  each  side  of  the  mouth.  Although  there  may  be  and 
often  are  many  of  these  caterpillars  on  the  same  tree  and 
branch,  yet  they  all  live  separately  within  their  own  cases. 
One  end  of  the  leafy  case  is  left  open,  and  from  this  the  insect 
comes  forth  to  feed.  They  eat  only,  or  mostly,  in  the  night, 
and  keep  themselves  closely  concealed  by  day.  These  cater- 
pillars are  very  cleanly  in  their  habits,  and  make  no  dirt  in 
their  habitations,  but  throw  it  out  with  a  sudden  jerk,  so  that 
it  shall  fall  at  a  considerable  distance.  They  frequently  trans- 
form to  chrysalids  within  the  same  leaves  which  have  served 
them  for  a  habitation,  but  more  often  quit  the  trees  and  con- 
struct in  some  secure  place  a  cocoon  of  leaves  or  fragments  of 
stubble,  the  interior  of  which  is  lined  with  a  loose  web  of  silk. 
They  remain  in  their  cocoons  without  further  change  through- 
out the  winter,  and  are  transformed  to  butterflies  in  the  follow- 


LEPIDOPTERA.  245 

ing  summer.  The  viscid  locust-tree  is  sometimes  almost  com- 
pletely stripped  of  its  leaves  by  these  insects,  or  presents  only 
here  and  there  the  brown  and  withered  remains  of  foliage, 
which  has  served  as  a  temporary  shelter  to  the  caterpillars. 

II.     HAWK-MOTHS.     (^Sphinges*) 

Linnaeus  was  led  to  give  the  name  of  Sphinx  to  the  insects 
in  his  second  group  of  the  Lepidoptera,  from  a  fancied  resem- 
blance that  some  of  their  caterpillars,  when  at  rest,  have  to  the 
Sphinx  of  the  Egyptians.  The  attitude  of  these  caterpillars 
is  indeed  very  remarkable.  Supporting  themselves  by  their 
four  or  six  hind  legs,  they  elevate  the  fore  part  of  the  body, 
and  remain  immovably  fixed  in  this  posture  for  hours  together. 
In  the  winged  state,  the  true  Sphinges  are  known  by  the  name 
of  humming-bird  moths,  from  the  sound  which  they  make  in 
flying,  and  hawk-moths,  from  their  habit  of  hovering  in  the 
air  while  taking  their  food.  These  humming-bird  or  hawk- 
moths  may  be  seen  during  the  morning  and  evening  twilight, 
flying  with  great  swiftness  from  flower  to  flower.  Their  wings 
are  long,  narrow,  and  pointed,  and  are  moved  by  powerful 
muscles,  to  accommodate  which  their  bodies  are  very  thick 
and  robust.  Their  tongues,  when  uncoiled,  are,  for  the  most 
part,  excessively  long,  and  with  them  they  extract  the  honey 
from  the  blossoms  of  the  honey-suckle  and  other  tubular 
flowers,  while  on  the  wing.  Other  Sphinges  fly  during  the 
daytime  only,  and  in  the  brightest  sunshine.  Then  it  is  that 
our  large  clear-winged  Sesiae  make  their  appearance  among 
the  flowers,  and  regale  themselves  with  their  sweets.  The 
fragrant  Phlox  is  their  especial  favorite.  From  their  size  and 
form  and  fan-like  tails,  from  their  brilliant  colors,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  take  their  food,  poised  upon  rapidly  vibrating 
wings  above  the  blossoms,  they  might  readily  be  mistaken  for 
humming-birds.  The  ^gerians  are  also  diurnal  in  their  habits. 
Their  flight  is  swift,  but  not  prolonged,  and  they  usually  alight 
while  feeding.  In  form  and  color  they  so  much  resemble  bees 
and  wasps  as  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  them.     The 

*  See  page  229. 


246  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Smerinthi  are  heavy  and  sluggish  in  their  motions.  They  fly 
only  daring  the  night,  and  apparently,  in  the  winged  state,  take 
no  food;  for  their  tongues  are  very  short,  and  indeed  almost 
invisible.  The  Glaucopidians,  or  Sphinges  with  feathered  an- 
tennte,  fly  mostly  by  day,  and  alight  to  take  their  food,  like 
many  moths,  which  some  of  them  resemble  in  form,  and  in 
their  transformations.  The  caterpillars  of  the  Sphinges  have 
sixteen  legs,  placed  in  pairs  beneath  the  first,  second,  third, 
sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  ninth,  and  last  segments  of  the  body; 
all  of  them,  except  the  ^gerians  and  Glaucopidians,  have 
either  a  kind  of  horn  or  a  tubercle  on  the  top  of  the  last  seg- 
ment, and,  when  at  rest,  sit  with  the  fore  part  of  the  body 
elevated. 

Having  devoted  a  large  portion  of  this  treatise  to  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  spinning  moths,  my  observations  on  the  other 
insects  of  this  order  must  be  brief,  and  confined  to  a  few  spe- 
cies, which  are  more  particularly  obnoxious  on  account  of 
their  devastations  in  the  caterpillar  state.  Those  persons  who 
are  curious  to  know  more  about  the  Sphinges  than  can  be 
included  in  this  essay,  are  referred  to  my  descriptive  catalogue 
of  these  insects,  contained  in  the  thirty-sLxth  volume  of  Pro- 
fessor Silliman's  "Journal  of  Science." 

Every  farmer's  boy  knows  the  potato-worm,  as  it  is  com- 
monly called ;  a  large  green  caterpillar,  with  a  kind  of  thorn 
upon  the  tail,  and  oblique  whitish  stripes  on  the  sides  of  the 
body.  This  insect,  which  devours  the  leaves  of  the  potato, 
often  to  the  great  injury  of  the  plant,  grows  to  the  thickness 
of  the  fore-finger,  and  the  length  of  three  inches  or  more.  It 
attains  its  full  size  from  the  middle  of  August  to  the  first  of 
September,  then  crawls  down  the  stem  of  the  plant  and  buries 
itself  in  the  ground.  Here,  in  a  few  days,  it  throws  off"  its 
caterpiflar-skin,  and  becomes  a  chrysalis,  of  a  bright  brown 
color,  with  a  long  and  slender  tongue-case,  bent  over  from  the 
head,  so  as  to  touch  the  breast  only  at  the  end,  and  somewhat 
resembling  the  handle  of  a  pitcher.  It  remains  in  the  ground 
through  the  winter,  below  the  reach  of  frost,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing summer  the  chrysalis-skin  bursts  open,  a  large  moth 
crawls  out  of  it,  comes  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 


LEPIDOPTERA.  247 

mounting  upon  some  neighboring  plant,  waits  till  the  approach 
of  evening  invites  it  to  expand  its  untried  wings  and  fly  in 
search  of  food.  This  large  insect  has  generally  been  con- 
founded with  the  Carolina  Sphinx  (*S/?//m.r  Carolina  of  Lin- 
naeus), which  it  closely  resembles.  It  measures  across  the 
wings  about  five  inches;  is  of  a  gray  color,  variegated  with 
blackish  lines  and  bands ;  and  on  each  side  of  the  body  there 
are  five  round,  orange-colored  spots  encircled  with  black. 
Hence  it  is  called  by  English  Entomologists  Sjyhinx  qinnque- 
maculatus,  the  five-spotted  Sphinx.  Its  tongue  can  be  unrolled 
to  the  length  of  five  or  six  inches,  but,  when  not  in  use,  is 
coiled  like  a  watch-spring,  and  is  almost  entirely  concealed, 
between  two  large  and  thick  feelers,  under  the  head. 

Among  the  numerous  insects  that  infest  our  noble  elms  the 
largest  is  a  kind  of  Sphinx,  which,  from  the  four  short  horns 
on  the  fore  part  of  the  back,  I  have  named  Ceratomia*  quad- 
ricornis,  or  four-horned  Ceratomia.  On  some  trees  these 
Sphinges  exist  in  great  numbers,  and  their  ravages  then  be- 
come very  obvious ;  while  a  few,  though  capable  of  doing 
considerable  injury,  may  escape  notice  among  the  thick  foliage 
which  constitutes  their  food,  or  will  only  be  betrayed  by  the 
copious  and  regularly  formed  pellets  of  excrement  beneath  the 
trees.  They  are  very  abundant  during  the  months  of  July  and 
August  on  the  large  elms  which  surround  the  northern  and 
eastern  sides  of  the  common  in  Boston ;  and  towards  the  end 
of  August,  when  they  descend  from  the  trees  for  the  purpose 
of  going  into  the  ground,  they  may  often  be  seen  crawling  in 
the  mall  in  considerable  numbers.  These  caterpillars,  at  this 
period  of  their  existence,  are  about  three  inches  and  a  half  in 
length,  are  of  a  pale  green  color,  with  seven  oblique  white 
lines  on  each  side  of  the  body,  and  a  row  of  little  notches, 
like  saw-teeth,  on  the  back.  The  four  short  horns  on  their 
shoulders  are  also  notched,  and  like  most  other  Sphinges  they 
have  a  long  and  stiff"  spine  on  the  hinder  extremity  of  the  body. 
They  enter  the  earth  to  become  chrysalids  and  pass  the  win- 

*  Ceratomia,  derived  from  the  Greek,  means  having  herns  on  the  shoulders,  a 
peculiarity  which  I  have  not  observed  in  any  other  Sphinx. 


248  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

ter,  and  come  forth  in  the  winged  state  in  the  month  of  June 
following,  at  which  time  the  moths  may  often  be  found  on  the 
trunks  of  trees,  or  on  fences  in  the  vicinity.  In  this  state  their 
wings  expand  nearly  five  inches,  are  of  a  light  brown  color, 
variegated  with  dark  brown  and  white,  and  the  hinder  part  of 
the  body  is  marked  with  five  longitudinal  dark  brown  lines.  A 
young  friend  of  mine,  in  Boston,  once  captured  on  the  trunks 
of  the  trees  a  large  number  of  these  moths  during  a  morning's 
walk  in  the  mall,  although  obliged  to  be  on  the  alert  to  escape 
from  the  guardians  of  the  common,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
prevent  the  grass  from  being  trodden  down.  Nearly  all  of 
these  specimens  were  females,  ready  to  deposit  their  eggs,  with 
which  their  large  bodies  were  completely  filled.  On  being 
taken,  they  made  scarcely  any  efforts  to  escape,  and  were  safely 
carried  away.  It  would  not  be  difficult,  by  such  means,  very 
considerably  to  reduce  the  number  of  these  destructive  insects ; 
in  addition  to  which  it  might  be  expedient,  during  the  proper 
season,  for  our  city  authorities  to  employ  persons  to  gather 
and  kill  every  morning  the  caterpillars  which  may  be  found  in 
those  public  walks  w4iere  they  abound. 

From  the  genus  Sphinx  I  have  separated  another  group  to 
which  I  have  given  the  name  of  Philampelus*  from  the  circum- 
stance that  the  larvaj  or  caterpillars  live  upon  the  grape-vine. 
When  young  they  have  a  long  and  slender  tail  recurved  over 
the  back  like  that  of  a  dog;  but  this,  after  one  or  two  changes 
of  the  skin,  disappears,  and  nothing  remains  of  it  but  a  smooth, 
eye-like,  raised  spot  on  the  top  of  the  last  segment  of  the  body. 
Some  of  these  caterpillars  are  pale  green  and  others  are  brown, 
and  the  sides  of  their  body  are  ornamented  by  six  cream-colored 
spots,  of  a  broad  oval  shape,  in  the  species  which  produces  the 
Satellilia  of  Linnceus,  narrow  oval  and  scalloped,  in  that  which 
is  transformed  to  the  species  called  Achemon  by  Drury.  They 
have  the  power  of  withdrawing  the  head  and  the  first  three 
segments  of  the  body  within  the  fourth  segment,  which  gives 
them  a  short  and  blunt  appearance  when  at  rest.  As  they 
attain  to  the  length  of  three  inches  or  more,  and  are  thick  in 

*  The  literal  signification  of  this  "word  is  I  love  the  vine. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  249 

proportion,  they  consume  great  quantities  of  leaves ;  and  the 
long  leafless  branches  of  the  vine  too  often  aflford  evidence  of 
their  voracity.  They  also  devour  the  leaves  of  the  common 
creeper  [Ampelopsis  quinqnefoJia),  which,  with  those  of  our 
indigenous  vines,  were  their  only  food  till  the  introduction  and 
increased  cultivation  of  foreign  vines  afforded  them  an  addi- 
tional supply.  They  come  to  their  gi'owth  during  the  month 
of  August,  enter  the  earth  to  transform,  and  appear  in  the 
winged  or  moth  state  the  following  summer  in  June  and  July. 
The  SateUitia  Hawk-moth  expands  from  four  to  five  inches,  is 
of  a  light  olive  color,  variegated  with  patches  of  darker  olive. 
The  Achemon  expands  from  three  to  four  inches,  is  of  a  reddish 
ash-color,  with  two  triangular  patches  of  deep  brown  on  the 
thorax,  and  two  square  ones  on  each  fore  wing;  the  hind  wings 
are  pink,  with  a  deeper  red  spot  near  the  middle,  and  a  broad 
ash-colored  border  behind. 

The  grape-vine  suffers  still  more  severely  from  the  ravages 
of  another  kind  of  Sphinx  caterpillars,  smaller  in  size  than 
the  preceding,  and  like  them  solitary  in  their  habits,  but  more 
numerous,  and,  not  content  with  eating  the  leaves  alone,  in 
theu-  progress  from  leaf  to  leaf  down  the  stem,  they  stop  at 
every  cluster  of  fruit,  and,  either  from  stupidity  or  disappoint- 
ment, nip  off"  the  stalks  of  the  half-grown  grapes,  and  allow 
them  to  fall  to  the  ground  untasted.  I  have  gathered  under 
a  single  vine  above  a  quart  of  unripe  grapes  thus  detached 
during  one  night  by  these  caterpillars.  They  are  naked  and 
fleshy  like  those  of  the  Achemon  and  SateUitia^  and  are  gener- 
ally of  a  pale  green  color  (sometimes,  howev^er,  brown),  with 
a  row  of  orange-colored  spots  on  the  top  of  the  back,  six  or 
seven  oblique  darker  green  or  brown  lines  on  each  side,  and 
a  short  spine  or  horn  on  the  hinder  extremity.  The  head  is 
very  small,  and,  with  the  fore  part  of  the  body,  is  somewhat 
retractile,  but  not  so  completely  as  in  the  two  preceding  spe- 
cies. The  fourth  and  fifth  segments  being  very  large  and 
swollen,  while  the  three  anterior  segments  taper  abruptly  to 
the  head,  the  fore  part  of  the  body  presents  a  resemblance  to 
the  head  and  snout  of  a  hog.  This  suggested  the  generical 
name  of  Chcerocampa,  or  hog-caterpillar,  which  has  been  ap- 
32 


850  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

plied  to  some  of  these  insects.  The  species  under  consider- 
ation is  found  on  the  vine  and  the  creeper  in  July  and  August; 
when  fully  grown  it  descends  to  the  ground,  conceals  itself 
under  fallen  leaves,  which  it  draws  together  by  a  few  threads 
so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  cocoon,  or  covers  itself  with  grains  of 
earth  and  rubbish  in  the  same  way,  and  under  this  imperfect 
cover  it  changes  to  a  pupa  or  chrysalis,  and  finally  appears  in 
the  winged  state  in  the  month  of  July  of  the  following  year. 
The  moth,  to  which  Sir  James  Edward  Smith  gave  the  name 
of  Pampinatrix,  from  its  living  on  the  shoots  of  the  vine,  ex- 
pands from  two  and  a  half  to  three  inches,  is  of  an  olive-gray 
color,  except  the  hind  wings,  which  are  rust-colored,  and  the 
fore  wings  and  shoulder-covers  are  traversed  with  olive-green 
bands. 

Among  the  other  Sphinges  of  Massachusetts  may  be  men- 
tioned those  belonging  to  the  genus  Smerinthus,  whose  tongue 
is  very  short  and  scarcely  visible,  and  whose  fore  wings  are 
generally  scalloped  on  the  outer  edge.  Their  caterpillars  are 
rough  or  granulated,  with  a  stout  thorn  on  the  tail,  and  a  tri- 
angular head,  the  apex  of  the  triangle  corresponding  to  the 
crown.  The  blind-eyed  Smerinthus  {S.  exccccata)  is  fawn- 
colored,  clouded  with  brown,  except  the  hind  wings,  which  are 
rose-colored  in  the  middle,  and  ornamented  with  an  eye-like 
black  spot  having  a  pale  blue  centre.  The  caterpillar  lives  on 
the  apple-tree,  but  is  not  common  enough  to  prove  seriously 
injurious.  The  same  observation  will  apply  to  that  of  the 
chocolate  brown-eyed  Sphinx  {Smerinthus  mi/ops),  which  lives 
on  the  wild  cherry-tree,  and  to  the  walnut  Sphinx  [Smerinthus 
Jug-landis),  which  lives  on  the  black  walnut  and  butternut. 
The  latter  species  is  destitute  of  eye-like  spots  on  the  hind 
wings.  Of  those  belonging  to  the  genus  Sphinx  proper,  that 
which  bears  the  specific  name  drupiferarum  inhabits  the  hack- 
berry  {Celtis  occidentalis)  and  the  plum-tree;  Sphinx  Kalmice 
inhabits  the  broad-leaved  laurel  [Kalmia  latifolia);  the  cater- 
pillar of  the  Gordius  is  found  on  the  apple-tree;  that  of  the 
great  ash-colored  Sphinx  [S.  cinerea)  on  the  lilac;  Hylaus  on 
the  black  alder  [Prinos  g-laber,  <5cc.),  and  whortleberry;  and  the 
curiously  checkered  caterpillar  of  Sphinx  coniferarum  on  pines. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  251 

Of  the  hog-caterpillars,  those  of  Chcerocampa  ChcBrilus  and 
versicolor  may  be  found  on  swamp  pinks  {Azalea  viscosa  and 
nudifiora).  The  caterpillar  of  the  white-lined  morning  Sphinx 
(Deilephila  lineata)  feeds  upon  purslane  and  turnip  leaves;  and 
that  of  Deilephila  Chamconerii  on  the  willow-herb  [Epilobium 
angustifolium).  The  clear-winged  Sphinges,  Sesia  pelasgus 
and  cliffinis^  are  distinguished  by  their  transparent  wings  and 
their  fan-shaped  tails.  They  hover  over  flowers,  like  humming- 
birds, during  the  daytime,  in  the  months  of  July  and  August. 
Their  caterpillars  bear  a  general  resemblance  to  those  of  the 
genus  Sphinx,  and,  as  far  as  they  are  known,  seem  to  possess 
the  same  habits. 

The  vEgerians  (tEgeriad^)  constitute  a  very  distinct  group 
among  the  Sphinges.  They  are  easily  recognized,  in  the  per- 
fected or  winged  state,  by  their  resemblance  to  bees,  hornets, 
or  wasps,  by  their  narrow  wings,  which  are  mostly  transparent, 
and  by  the  tufts  or  brush  at  the  end  of  the  body,  which  they 
have  the  power  of  spreading  out  like  a  fan  at  pleasure.  They 
fly  only  in  the  daytime,  and  frequently  alight  to  bask  in  the 
sunshine.  Their  habits,  in  the  caterpillar  state,  are  entirely 
different  from  those  of  the  other  Sphinges;  the  latter  living 
exposed  upon  plants  whose  leaves  they  devour,  while  the 
caterpillars  of  the  ^gerians  are  concealed  within  the  stems 
or  roots  of  plants,  and  derive  their  nourishment  from  the  wood 
and  pith.  Hence  they  are  commonly  called  borers,  a  name, 
however,  which  is  equally  applicable  to  the  larvae  or  young  of 
many  insects  of  other  orders.  The  caterpillars  of  the  ^geri- 
ans  are  whitish,  soft,  and  slightly  downy.  Like  those  of  other 
Sphinges  they  have  sixteen  feet,  but  they  are  destitute  of  a 
thorn  or  prominence  on  the  last  segment  of  the  body.  "When 
they  have  come  to  their  full  size,  they  enclose  themselves  in 
oblong  oval  cocoons,  made  of  fragments  of  wood  or  bark 
cemented  by  a  gummy  matter,  and  within  these  are  trans- 
formed to  chrysalids.  The  latter  are  of  a  shining  bay  color, 
and  the  edges  of  the  abdominal  segments  are  armed  with 
transverse  rows  of  short  teeth.  By  means  of  these  little  teeth, 
the  chrysalis,  just  before  it  is  about  to  be  transformed  to  a 
winged  insect,  works  its  way  out  of  the  cocoon,  and  partly 


252  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

through  the  hole,  in  the  stem  or  root,  which  the  caterpillar  had 
previously  made;  and  the  shell  of  the  chrysaUs  is  left  half 
emerging  from  tlie  orifice,  after  the  moth  has  escaped  from  it. 

The  ash-tree  suffers  very  much  from  the  attacks  of  borers  of 
this  kind,  which  perforate  the  bark  and  sap-wood  of  the  trunk 
from  the  roots  upwards,  and  are  also  found  in  all  the  branches 
of  any  considerable  size.  The  trees  thus  infested  soon  show 
symptoms  of  disease,  in  the  death  of  branches  near  the  sum- 
nut;  and,  when  the  insects  become  numerous,  the  trees  no 
longer  increase  in  size  and  height,  and  premature  decay  and 
death  ensue.  These  borers  assume  the  chrysalis  form  in  the 
month  of  June,  and  the  chrysalids  may  be  seen  projecting  half 
way  from  the  round  holes  in  the  bark  of  the  tree  in  this  and 
the  following  month,  during  which  time  their  final  transforma- 
tion is  effected,  and  they  burst  open  and  escape  from  the  shells 
of  the  chrysalis  in  the  winged  or  moth  state.  Under  this  form 
this  insect  was  described,  in  my  paper  in  Professor  Silliman's 
"Journal  of  Science,"  by  the  name  of  Trochilium*  denudatum; 
as  the  habits  of  the  larva  are  now  ascertained,  we  may  call  it 
the  ash-tree  Trochilium.  Its  general  color  is  brown ;  the  edges 
of  the  collar  and  of  the  abdominal  rings,  the  shins,  the  feet, 
and  the  under  side  of  the  antennae  are  yellowish.  The  hind 
wings  are  transparent;  the  fore  wings  are  opake  and  brown, 
variegated  with  rust-red ;  they  have  a  transparent  space  near 
the  tips,  and  expand  about  an  inch  and  a  half. 

During  the  month  of  August,  the  squash  and  other  cucurbi- 
taceous  vines  are  frequently  found  to  die  suddenly  down  to  the 
root.  The  cause  of  this  premature  death  is  a  little  borer,  which 
begins  its  operations  near  the  gi'ound,  perforates  the  stem,  and 
devours  the  interior.  It  afterwards  enters  the  soil,  forms  a 
cocoon  of  a  gummy  substance  covered  with  particles  of  earth, 
changes  to  a  chrysalis,  and  comes  forth  the  next  summer  a 
winged  insect.  This  is  conspicuous  for  its  orange-colored 
body,  spotted  with  black,  and  its  hind  legs  fringed  with  long 


*  The  word  Trochilium  is  derived  from  Trockihis,  the  scientific  name  of  the 
humming-bird  genus ;  and  these  insects  are  sometimes  called  humming-bird 
moths. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  253 

orange-colored  and  black  hairs.  The  hind  wings  only  are 
transparent,  and  the  fore  wings  expand  from  one  inch  to  one 
inch  and  a  half.  It  deposits  its  eggs  on  the  vines  close  to  the 
roots,  and  may  be  seea  flying  about  the  plants  from  the  tenth 
of  July  till  the  middle  of  August.  This  insect,  which  may  be 
called  the  squash-vine  ^geria,  was  first  described  by  me  in 
the  year  1828,  under  the  name  of  jEgeria  Cucurbitce,  the  trivial 
name  indicating  the  tribe  of  plants  on  which  the  caterpillar 
feeds.* 

The  pernicious  borer,  which,  during  many  years  past,  has 
proved  very  destructive  to  peach-trees  throughout  the  United 
States,  is  a  species  of  jEgeria,  named  exitiosa,  or  the  destruc- 
tive, by  Mr.  Say,  who  first  scientifically  described  it  in  the 
third  volume  of  the  "Journal  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Philadelphia,"  and  subsequently  gave  a  represen- 
tation and  account  of  it  in  his  "  American  Entomology."  In 
the  fifth  volume  of  the  "  New  England  Farmer,"  I  have  given 
the  history  of  this  insect,  have  mentioned  the  principal  authors 
who  have  noticed  it,  and  recommended  preventive  measures, 
which  have  been  found  effectual  in  protecting  the  peach-tree 
from  its  most  serious  attacks.  The  eggs,  from  which  these 
borers  are  hatched,  are  deposited,  in  the  course  of  the  summer, 
upon  the  trunk  of  the  tree  near  the  root;  the  borers  penetrate 
the  bark,  and  devour  the  inner  bark  and  sap-wood.  The  seat 
of  their  operations  is  known  by  the  castings  and  gum  which 
issue  from  the  holes  in  the  tree.  When  these  borers  are  nearly 
one  year  old,  they  make  theit  cocoons  either  under  the  bark  of 
the  trunk  or  of  the  root,  or  in  the  earth  and  gum  contiguous 
to  the  base  of  the  trees ;  soon  afterwards  they  are  transformed 
to  chrysalids,  and  finally  come  forth  in  the  winged  state,  and 
lay  the  eggs  for  another  generation  of  borers.  The  last  trans- 
formation takes  place  from  June  to  October,  most  frequently, 
however,  during  the  month  of  July,  in  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts.    Here,  although  there  are  several  broods  produced  by  a 


*  See  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  VIII.,  p.  33  ;  my  Discourse  before  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  in  1832,  p.  26  ;  and  '•  Silliman's  Journal," 
Vol.  XXXVL,  p.  310. 


984  INSECTS  INJUIIIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

succession  of  hatches,  there  is  but  one  rotation  of  metamor- 
phoses consummated  within  a  year.  Hence  borers,  of  all 
sizes,  will  be  found  in  the  trees  throughout  the  year,  although 
it  seems  to  be  necessary  that  all  of  them,  whether  more  or  less 
advanced,  should  pass  through  one  winter  before  they  appear 
in  the  winged  state.  Under  its  last  form,  this  insect  is  a  slen- 
der, dark  blue,  four-winged  moth,  having  a  slight  resemblance 
to  a  wasp  or  ichneumon-fly,  to  which  it  is  sometimes  likened. 
The  two  sexes  differ  greatly  from  each  other,  so  much  so,  as 
to  have  caused  them  to  be  mistaken  for  two  distinct  species. 
The  male,  which  is  much  smaller  than  the  female,  has  all  the 
wings  transparent,  but  bordered  and  veined  with  steel-blue, 
which  is  the  general  color  of  the  body  in  both  sexes;  the  palpi 
or  feelers,  the  edges  of  the  collar,  of  the  shoulder-covers,  of  the 
rings  of  the  abdomen,  and  of  the  brush  on  the  tail,  are  pale 
yellow,  and  there  are  two  rings  of  the  same  yellow  color  on 
the  shins.  It  expands  about  one  inch.  The  fore  wings  of  the 
female  are  blue,  and  opake,  the  hind  wings  transparent,  and 
bordered  and  veined  like  those  of  the  male,  and  the  middle  of 
the  abdomen  is  encircled  by  a  broad  orange-colored  belt.  It 
expands  an  inch  and  a  half,  or  more.  This  insect  does  not 
confine  its  attacks  to  the  peach-tree.  I  have  repeatedly  ob- 
tained both  sexes  from  borers  inhabiting  the  excrescences  which 
are  found  on  the  trunks  and  limbs  of  the  cherry-tree;  and 
moreover,  I  have  frequently  taken  them  in  connexion  on  the 
trunks  of  cherry  and  of  peach  trees.  They  sometimes  deposit 
their  eggs  in  the  crotches  of  the  branches  of  the  peach-tree, 
where  the  borers  will  subsequently  be  found;  but  the  injury, 
sustained  by  their  operations  in  such  parts,  bears  no  comparison 
to  that  resulting  from  their  attacks  at  the  base  of  the  tree, 
which  they  too  often  completely  girdle,  and  thus  cause  its 
premature  decay  and  death.  The  following  plan,  which  was 
recommended  by  me  in  the  year  1826,  and  has  been  tried  with 
complete  success  by  several  persons  in  this  vicinity,  will  effec- 
tually protect  the  neck,  or .  most  vital  part  of  the  tree,  from 
injury.  Remove  the  earth  around  the  base  of  the  tree,  crush 
and  destroy  the  cocoons  and  borers  which  may  be  found  in  it, 
and  under  the  bark,  cover  the  wounded  parts  with  the  common 


LEPIDOPTERA.  255 

clay  composition,  and  surround  the  trunk  with  a  strip  of 
sheathing  paper  eight  or  nine  inches  wide,  which  should  ex- 
tend two  inches  below  the  lerel  of  the  soil,  and  be  secured 
with  strings  of  matting  above.  Fresh  mortar  should  then  be 
placed  around  the  root,  so  as  to  confine  the  paper  and  prevent 
access  beneath  it,  and  the  remaining  cavity  may  be  filled  with 
new  or  unexhausted  loam.  This  operation  should  be  per- 
formed in  the  spring  or  during  the  month  of  June.  In  the 
winter  the  strings  may  be  removed,  and  in  the  following  spring 
the  trees  should  again  be  examined  for  any  borers  that  may 
have  escaped  search  before,  and  the  protecting  applications 
should  be  renewed. 

In  Europe  there  is  a  species  of  JEg-eria,  named  by  LinnsBUS 
tipiiHformis,  which  has  long  been  known  to  inhabit  the  stems 
of  the  currant-bush.  This,  or  an  insect  closely  resembling  it, 
is  far  too  common  in  America,  in  the  cultivated  currant,  with 
which  it  may  have  been  introduced  from  Europe.  The  cater- 
pillars are  produced  from  eggs  laid  singly,  near  the  buds ;  when 
hatched,  they  penetrate  the  stem  to  the  pith,  which  they  de- 
vour, and  thus  form  a  burrow  of  several  inches  in  length  in 
the  interior  of  the  stem.  As  the  borer  increases  in  size,  it  en- 
larges the  hole  communicating  with  its  burrow,  to  admit  of 
the  more  ready  passage  of  its  castings,  and  to  afford  it  the 
means  of  escape  when  it  is  transformed  to  a  moth.  The  infe- 
rior size  of  the  fruit  affords  an  indication  of  the  operations  of 
the  borers ;  and  the  perforated  stems  frequently  break  off  at 
the  part  affected,  or,  if  of  sufficient  size  still  to  support  the 
weight  of  the  foliage  and  fruit,  they  soon  become  sickly,  and 
finally  die.  In  some  gardens,  nearly  every  currant-bush  has 
been  attacked  by  these  borers ;  and  instances  are  known  to 
me  wherein  all  attempts  to  raise  currant-bushes  from  cuttings 
have  been  baffled,  during  the  second  or  third  year  of  the  growth 
of  the  plants,  by  the  ravages  of  these  insects.  They  complete 
their  transformations,  and  appear  in  the  moth  state,  about  the 
middle  of  June.  The  moth  is  of  a  blue-black  color ;  its  wings 
are  transparent,  but  veined  and  fringed  with  black,  and  across 
the  tips  of  the  anterior  pair  there  is  a  broad  band,  which  is 
more  or  less  tinged  with  copper-color ;  the  under  side  of  the 


256  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

feelers,  the  collar,  the  edges  of  the  shoulder-covers,  and  three 
very  narrow  rings  on  the  abdomen,  are  golden  yellow.  The 
wings  expand  three  quarters  of  an  inch,  or  a  little  more. 

Some  years  ago,  it  was  ascertained  that  a  species  of  JEg-eria 
inhabited  the  pear-tree  in  this  State ;  and  it  is  said  that  con- 
siderable injury  has  resulted  from  it.  An  infested  tree  may 
be  known  by  the  eastings  thrown  out  of  the  small  perforations 
made  by  the  borers,  which  live  under  the  bark  of  the  trunk, 
and  subsist  chiefly  upon  the  inner  bark.  They  make  their 
cocoons  under  the  bark,  and  change  to  chrysalids  in  the  latter 
part  of  summer.  The  winged  insects  appear  in  the  autumn, 
having,  like  others  of  this  kind,  left  their  chrysalis  skins 
projecting  from  the  orifice  of  the  holes  which  they  had  pre- 
viously made.  In  its  winged  form,  this  ^Egeria  is  very  much 
like  that  which  inhabits  the  currant-bush ;  but  it  is  a  smaller 
species.  It  was  described  by  me  in  the  year  1830,  under  the 
name  of  jE^eria  Pyri,  the  pear-tree  ^geria ;  and  my  account 
of  it  will  be  found  on  the  second  page  of  the  ninth  volume  of 
the  "  New  England  Farmer."  Its  wings  expand  rather  more 
than  half  an  inch ;  are  transparent,  but  veined,  bordered,  and 
fringed  with  purplish  black,  and  across  the  tips  of  the  fore 
wings  is  a  broad  dark  band  glossed  with  coppery  tints ;  the 
prevailing  color  of  the  upper  side  of  the  body  is  purple-black ; 
but  most  of  the  under  side  is  golden  yellow,  as  are  the  edges 
of  the  collar,  of  the  shoulder-covers,  and  of  the  fan-shaped 
brush  on  the  tail,  and  there  is  a  broad  yellow  band  across  the 
middle  of  the  abdomen,  preceded  by  two  narrow  bands  of  the 
same  color. 

There  are  several  more  insects*  belonging  to  this  group  in 
Massachusetts,  one  of  which  lives  in  the  stems  of  the  lilac, 
and  another  inhabits  those  of  the  wild  currant,  Ribes  floridum. 
The  winged  male  of  the  latter  species  is  remarkable  for  the 
very  long,  slender,  and  cylindrical  tuft  or  pencil  at  the  extremity 
of  the  body.  Of  the  rest,  there  is  nothing  particularly  worthy 
of  note. 

*See  "Silliman's  Journal,"  Vol.  XXXVI.,  p.  309  to  313, 


LEPIDOPTERA.  257 

The  Glaucopidians,*  so  named  from  the  glaucous  or  bluish 
green  color  of  some  of  the  species,  are  distinguished  from  the 
other  Sphinges  by  their  antennee,  which,  in  the  males  at  least, 
and  sometimes  in  both  sexes,  are  feathered,  or  furnished  on 
each  side  with  little  slender  branches,  parallel  to  each  other 
like  the  teeth  of  a  comb.  In  scientific  works  such  antennae 
are  called  pectinated,  from  pecten,  the  Latin  for  comb.  The 
caterpillars  of  the  Glaucopidians  have  sixteen  feet,  are  slender, 
and  cylindrical,  with  a  few  hairs  scattered  generally  over  the 
surface  of  the  body,  or  arranged  in  little  tufts  arising  from 
minute  warts,  and  are  without  a  horn  on  the  hinder  extremity. 
They  devour  the  leaves  of  plants,  and  make  for  themselves 
cocoons  of  coarse  silk,  in  which  they  undergo  their  transfor- 
mations. The  chrysalids  are  oblong  oval,  rounded  at  one  end, 
tapering  at  the  other,  and  are  not  provided  with  transverse 
rows  of  teeth  on  the  surface  of  the  body.  In  the  caterpillar 
and  winged  states,  in  the  nature  of  their  transformations,  and 
in  their  habits,  these  insects  approach  very  closely  to  the  Pha- 
laena;,  or  moths,  forming  the  third  division  of  Lepidopterous 
insects,  among  which  they  are  arranged  by  some  naturalists. 
There  are  not  many  of  them  in  Massachusetts,  and  only  one 
species  requires  to  be  noticed  here.f  This  is  the  Procris 
Americana^  a  small  moth  of  a  blue-black  color,  with  a  saffron- 
colored  collar,  and  a  notched  tuft  on  the  extremity  of  the  body. 
The  wings,  which  are  very  narrow,  expand  nearly  one  inch. 
This  little  insect  is  the  American  representative  of  the  Procris 
vitis  or  ampelophaga  of  Europe,  which,  in  the  caterpillar  state, 
sometimes  proves  very  injurious  to  the  grape-vine.  The  habits 
of  our  species  are  exactly  the  same ;  but  have  been  overlooked, 
or  very  rarely  observed  in  this  vicinity.  The  caterpillars  are 
gregarious,  that  is,  considerable  numbers  of  them  live  and  feed 
together,  collected  side  by  side  on  the  same  leaf,  and  only  dis- 
perse when  they  are  about  to  make  their  cocoons.  They  are 
of  a  yellow  color,  with  a  transverse  row  of  black  velvety  tufts 
on  each  ring,  and  a  few  conspicuous  hairs  on  each  exti'emity 

*  See  additional  obstrrations  on  page  246. 

tFor  the  other  species  see  "  Silliman's  Journal,"  Vol.  XXXVI.,  pp.  316  to  319. 

33 


258  INSECTS  IXJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  the  body.     They  are  hatched  from  eggs,  which  are  laid  in 
clusters  of  twenty  or  more  together  on  the  lower  sides  of  the 
leaves  of  the  grape-vine  and  creeper ;  and  they  come  to  their 
growth  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  August.     They  then 
measure  six  tenths  or  rather  more  than  one  half  of  an  inch  in 
length.     Their  feet  are  sixteen  in  number,  and  rather  short, 
and  their  motions  are  sluggish.     When  touched,  they  curl  their 
bodies  sidewise  and  fall  to  the  ground,  or,  more  rarely,  hang 
suspended  from  the  leaves  by  a  silken  thread.     "When  young 
they  eat  only  portions  of  the  surface  of  the  leaf;  but,  as  they 
grow  older  they  devour  all  but  the  stalk  and  principal  veins, 
and  passing  from  leaf  to  leaf,  thus  strip  whole  branches  of 
their  foliage.     When  numerous,  they  do  much  damage  to  the 
vines   and  fruit,  by  stripping  off  the  leaves   in  midsummer, 
when  most  needed.     I  have  found  them  in  Massachusetts  on 
the  grape-vine   and  on  the  common  creeper,   or  Ampelopsis 
quinquefolia,  and  conjecture  that  the  latter  constitutes  their 
natural  food.     About  the  year  1830,  Professor  Hentz  found 
them  in  swarms  upon  cultivated  grape-vines  at  Chapel-Hill,  in 
North  Carolina ;  and  constant  care  was  required  to  check  their 
ravages  there,  during  several  successive  years.     Several  broods 
appeared  there  in  the  course  of  the  summer ;  but  hitherto,  only 
one  annual  brood  has  been  observed  in  Massachusetts,  although 
two  or  more  broods  may  occasionally  be  produced.     When, 
about  to  make  their  cocoons,  the  caterpillars  leave  the  vines, 
and  retire  to  some  sheltered  spot.     They  then  enclose  them- 
selves, each  in  a  very  thin  but  tough  oblong  oval  cocoon,  and 
soon  afterwards  are  transformed  to  shining  brown  chrysalids. 
Early  in  July,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  I  have  seen  the 
moths  flying  about  grape-vines  and  creepers,  at  which  time, 
also,  they  pair  and  lay  their  eggs.     A  more  full  account  of  this 
insect,  illustrated  by  figures,  will  be  found  in  Hovey's  "  Maga- 
zine," for  June,  1844. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  259 

III.     MOTHS.     iPhaUencB.)* 

The  third  great  section  of  the  Lepidoptera,  which  Linnaeus 
named  Phalana,  includes  a  vast  number  of  insects,  sometimes 
called  millers,  or  night-butterflies,  but  more  frequently  moths. 
The  latter  term,  thus  applied,  comprehends  not  only  those  do- 
mestic moths,  which,  in  the  young  or  caterpillar  state,  devour 
cloth,  but  all  the  other  insects,  belonging  to  the  order  Lepi- 
doptera, which  cannot  be  arranged  among  the  butterflies  and 
hawk-moths. 

These  insects  vary  greatly  in  size,  color,  and  structure. 
Some  of  them,  particularly  those  with  gilded  wings,  are  very 
minute ;  while  the  Atlas-moth  of  China  [Attacus  Atlas),  when 
its  wings  are  expanded,  covers  a  space  measuring  nearly  nine 
inches  by  five  and  a  half;  and  the  owl-moth  {Ereb\is  Strix) 
has  wings,  which,  though  not  so  broad,  expand  eleven  inches. 
Some  female  moths  are  destitute  of  wings,  or  have  but  very 
small  ones,  wholly  unfitted  for  flight ;  and  there  are  species 
whose  wings  are  longitudinally  cleft  into  several  narrow  rays, 
resembling  feathers.  The  stalk  of  the  antennae  of  moths  gen- 
erally tapers  from  the  base  to  the  end.  These  parts  some- 
times resemble  simple  or  naked  bristles,  and  sometimes  they 
are  plumed  on  each  side  of  the  stalk,  like  feathers.  There  is 
often  a  good  deal  of  difference  in  the  antennae,  according  to 
the  sex ;  feathered  or  pectinated  antennae  being  generally  nar- 
rower in  the  females  than  in  the  males ;  and  there  are  some 
moths  the  males  of  which  have  feathered  antennae,  while  those 
of  the  other  sex  are  not  feathered  at  all,  or  only  furnished  with 
very  short  projections,  like  teeth,  at  the  sides.  Most  moths 
have  a  sucking-tube,  commonly  called  the  tongue,  consisting 
of  two  hollow  and  tapering  threads,  united  side  by  side,  and 
when  not  in  use  rolled  up  in  a  spiral  form ;  but  in  many,  this 
member  is  very  short,  and  its  two  threads  are  not  united ;  and 
in  some  it  is  entirely  wanting,  or  is  reduced  to  a  mere  point. 
Two  palpi  or  feelers  are  found  in  most  moths.  They  grow 
from  the  lower  lip,  generally  curve  upwards,  and  cover  the  face 
on  each  side  of  the  tongue.  Some  have,  besides  these,  another 
pair,  which  adhere  to  the  roots  of  the  tongue.     Many  moths 

*  See  page  229. 


260  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

are  said  to  have  no  feelers ;  these  parts  being  in  them  very 
small,  and  invisible  to  the  naked  eye. 

The  caterpillars  of  these  insects  differ  more  from  each  other 
than  the  moths.  In  general  they  are  of  a  cylindrical  shape, 
and  are  provided  with  sixteen  legs ;  there  are  many,  however, 
which  have  only  ten,  twelve,  or  fourteen  legs ;  and  in  a  few 
the  legs  are  so  very  short,  as  hardly  to  be  visible,  so  that  these 
caterpillars  seem  to  glide  along  in  the  manner  of  slugs.  Some 
caterpillars  are  naked,  and  others  are  clothed  with  hairs  or 
bristles,  and  the  hairs  are  either  uniformly  distributed,  or  grow 
in  tufts.  Sometimes  the  surface  of  the  body  is  even  and 
smooth  ;  sometimes  it  is  covered  with  little  warts  or  tubercles  ; 
or  it  is  beset  with  prickles  and  spines,  which  not  unfrequently 
are  compound  or  branched. 

Many  caterpillars,  previous  to  their  transformation,  enclose 
themselves  in  cocoons,  composed  entirely  of  silk,  or  of  silk 
interwoven  with  hairs  stripped  from  their  own  bodies,  or  with 
fragments  of  other  substances  within  their  reach.  Some  go 
into  the  ground,  where  they  are  transformed  without  the  addi- 
tional protection  of  a  cocoon ;  others  change  to  chrysalids  in 
the  interior  of  the  stems,  roots,  leaves,  or  fruits  of  plants.  The 
chrysalids  of  moths  are  generally  of  an  elongated  oval  shape, 
rounded  at  one  end,  and  tapering  almost  to  a  point  at  the 
other ;  and  they  are  destitute  of  the  angular  elevations  which 
are  found  on  the  chrysalids  of  butterflies. 

These  brief  remarks,  which  are  necessarily  of  a  very  general 
nature,  and  comprise  but  a  few  of  the  principal  differences  ob- 
servable in  these  insects,  must  suffice  for  the  present  occasion. 

liinnteus  divided  the  Moths  into  eight  groups,  namely,  Attaci, 
Bonibyces,  Noctucc,  Geometrce,  Tortrices,  Pj/ralides,  Tinece,  and 
Alucitce ;  and  these  (with  the  exception  of  the  Attaci,  which 
are  to  be  divided  between  the  Bombyces  and  Noctucc),  have 
been  recognised  as  well-marked  groups,  and  have  been  adopted 
by  some  of  the  best  entomologists*  who  succeeded  him. 

*  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  among  these  are  Denis  and  SchiffermtlUer, 
the  authors  of  the  celebrated  "Vienna  Catalogue,"  besides  Latreille,  Leach, 
Stephens,  and  others,  whose  classifications  of  the  Moths,  how  much  soever 
varied,  enlarged,  or  improved,  are  essentially  based  on  the  arrangement  pro- 
posed by  Linnaeus. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  261 

1.     Spinners.     [Bombyces.) 

The  Bombyces,  so  called  from  Bombi/x,  the  ancient  name  of 
the  silk-worm,  are  mostly  thick-bodied  moths,  with  antennae, 
in  the  greater  number,  feathered  or  pectinated,  at  least  in  the 
males,  the  tongue  and  feelers  very  short  or  entirely  wanting, 
the  thorax  woolly,  but  not  crested,  or  very  rarely,  and  the  fore 
legs  often  very  hairy.  Their  caterpillars  have  sixteen  legs,  are 
generally  spinners,  and,  with  few  exceptions,  make  cocoons 
within  which  they  are  transformed. 

This  tribe  has  been  subdivided  into  a  number  of  lesser 
groups  or  families ;  but  naturalists  are  not  at  all  agreed  upon 
the  manner  in  which  these  should  be  arranged.  We  might 
place  at  the  head  of  the  tribe  those  large  moths,  whose 
Sphinx-like  caterpillars  are  naked  and  warty,  and  which,  in 
the  winged  state,  are  ornamented  with  eye-like  spots  like  the 
Smerinthi ;  or,  we  might  place  first  in  the  series  the  moths 
whose  caterpillars  are  wood-eaters,  with  the  habits  and  trans- 
formations of  the  jEg-eriajis ;  or,  we  may  begin  with  the  smaller 
species,  with  hairy  caterpillars,  whose  habits  and  transfor- 
mations are  like  those  of  the  Glaitcopidians,  and  which  re- 
semble the  latter  closely  in  the  winged  state ;  and  thus  the 
series,  from  Procris  and  other  moth-like  Sphinges  to  the  true 
Moths,  will  be  uninterrupted.  The  latter,  on  the  whole,  seems 
to  be  the  most  natural  course,  and  it  agrees  with  the  arrange- 
ment of  Dr.  Boisduval,  which  I  shall  follow,  with  some  slight 
changes  only. 

Agreeably  to  this  arrangement  the  first  family  of  the  Bom- 
byces will  be  the  Lithosians  (Lithosiad^),  so  named  from 
two  Greek  words,*  meaning  a  stone,  and  to  live ;  for  the  cater- 
pillars of  many  of  these  insects  live  in  stony  places,  and  devour 
the  lichens  growing  on  rocks.  (Such  also  are  the  habits  of 
Glaucosis  Pholvs,  one  of  the  Glaucopidians.)  On  this  account 
they  are  not  properly  subjects  for  notice  in  this  essay ;  but  as 
some  of  the  larger  species  are  grass-eaters,  are  conspicuous 

*  This  is  the  derivation  given  by  M.  Godart.  Hist.  Nat.  Lcpidopt.  de  France. 
Vol.  v.,  p.  10. 


262  IXSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

for  their  beauty,  and  naturally  conduct  to  another  family,  par- 
ticularly obnoxious  to  the  cultivators  of  the  soil,  it  may  be 
interesting  to  point  out  their  distinguishing  traits. 

The  Lithosians  are  slender-bodied  moths,  mostly  of  small 
size,  whose  rather  narrow  upper  or  fore  wings,  when  at  rest, 
generally  lie  flatly  on  the  top  of  the  back,  crossing  or  over- 
lapping each  other  on  their  inner  margins,  and  entirely  cover- 
ing the  under  wings,  which  are  folded  longitudinally,  and,  as 
it  were,  moulded  around  the  body ;  more  rarely  the  wings 
slope  a  little  at  the  sides,  and  cover  the  back  like  a  low  roof. 
The  antennae  are  rather  long,  and  bristle-formed ;  sometimes 
naked  in  both  sexes,  more  often  slightly  feathered  with  a 
double  row  of  short  hairs  beneath,  in  the  males.  The  tongue 
and  one  pair  of  feelers  are  very  distinct  and  of  moderate 
length.  The  back  is  smooth,  neither  woolly  nor  crested,  but 
thickly  covered  with  short  and  close  feather-like  scales.  The 
wings  of  many  of  the  Lithosians  are  prettily  spotted,  and  they 
frequently  fly  in  the  daytime  like  the  Glaucopidians.  Their 
caterpillars  are  sparingly  clothed  with  hairs,  growing  in  little 
clusters  from  minute  warts  on  the  surface  of  the  body.  They 
enclose  themselves  in  thin  oblong  cocoons  of  silk  interwoven 
with  their  own  hairs.  The  rings  of  their  chrysalids  are  gener- 
ally so  closely  joined  as  not  to  admit  of  motion.  Of  about  a 
dozen  kinds  inhabiting  Massachusetts,  I  shall  describe  only 
two.  The  first  of  these  may  be  called  Gnophria  vittata,  the 
striped  Gnophria.  It  is  of  a  deep  scarlet  color ;  its  fore  wings, 
which  expand  one  inch  and  one  eighth,  have  two  broad  stripes, 
and  a  short  stripe  between  them  at  the  tip,  of  a  lead-color,  and 
the  hind  wings  have  a  very  broad  lead-colored  border  behind ; 
the  middle  of  the  abdomen  and  the  joints  of  the  legs  are  also 
lead-colored.  The  caterpillar  lives  upon  lichens,  and  may  be 
found  under  loose  stones  in  the  fields  in  the  Spring.  It  is 
dusky,  and  thinly  covered  with  stiff",  sharp,  and  barbed  black 
bristles,  which  grow  singly  from  small  warts.  Early  in  May 
it  makes  its  cocoon,  which  is  very  thin  and  silky;  and  twenty 
days  afterwards  is  transformed  to  a  moth. 

By  far  the  most  elegant  species  is  the  De'iopeia  bella,  the 
beautiful  Deiopeia.     This  moth  has  naked  bristle-formed  an- 


LEPIDOPTERA.  263 

tennse ;  its  fore  wings  are  deep  yellow,  crossed  by  about  six 
white  bands,  on  each  of  which  is  a  row  of  black  dots ;  the 
hind  wings  are  scarlet  red,  with  an  irregular  border  of  black 
behind;  the  body  is  white,  and  the  thorax  is  dotted  with  black. 
It  expands  from  one  and  a  half  to  one  inch  and  three  quarters. 
Its  time  of  appearance  here  is  from  the  middle  of  July  till  the 
beginning  of  September.  The  caterpillar  is  unknown  to  me ; 
but  Drury  states  that  he  was  informed  it  was  of  the  same  color 
as  the  fore  wings  of  the  moth,  (that  is  yellow  and  white  dotted 
with  black),  and  that  it  feeds  upon  the  blue  lupines.*  The 
European  De'iopeia  pulchella,  which  is  very  much  like  our  spe- 
cies, feeds,  in  the  caterpillar  state,  on  the  leaves  of  the  mouse- 
ear,  Myosotis  arvensis  and  palustris ;  and  it  is  probable  that 
ours  may  be  found  on  plants  of  the  same  kind  here. 

Some  of  the  large  and  richly  colored  Lithosians  resemble, 
in  many  respects,  the  insects  in  the  next  family,  called,  by  the 
English,  tiger  and  ermine  moths.  The  caterpillars  of  most  of 
these  tiger-moths  are  thickly  covered  with  hairs,  whence  they 
have  received  the  name  of  woolly  bears,  and  the  family,  in- 
cluding them,  that  of  Arctiad.e,  or  Arctians,  from  the  Greek 
word  for  bear.  The  Arctians,  or  tiger-moths,  have  shorter  and 
thicker  feelers  than  the  Lithosians;  their  tongue  is  also  for  the 
most  part  very  short,  not  extending,  when  unrolled,  much  be- 
yond the  head;  their  antennae,  with  few  exceptions,  are  doubly 
feathered  on  the  under  side ;  but  the  feathering  is  rather  nar- 
row, and  is  hardly  visible  in  the  females ;  their  wings  are  not 
crossed  on  the  top  of  the  back,f  but  are  roofed  or  slope  down- 
wards on  each  side  of  the  body,  when  at  rest ;  the  thorax  is 
thick,  and  the  abdomen  is  short  and  plump,  and  generally 
ornamented  with  rows  of  black  spots.  Their  fore  wings  are 
often  variegated  with  dark  colored  spots  on  a  light  ground,  or 
light  colored  veins  on  a  dark  ground ;  and  the  hind  wings  are 
frequently  red,  orange,  or  yellow,  spotted  with  black  or  blue. 
They  fly  only  in  the  night.     Their  caterpillars  are  covered  with 


*  Drury's  Illustrations,  Vol.  L,  p.  52,  pi.  24,  fig.  3. 

tTo  this  character  there   is  an  exception  in  fhe  Lopfiocampa  tessellaris,  the 
■wings  of  which  are  closed  like  those  of  Lilhoaia  quadra. 


264  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

coarse  hairs,  spreading  out  on  all  sides  like  the  bristles  of  a 
bottle-brush,  and  growing  in  clusters  or  tufts  from  little  warts 
regularly  arranged  in  transverse  rows  on  the  surface  of  the 
body.  They  run  very  fast,  and  when  handled  roll  themselves 
up  almost  into  the  shape  of  a  ball.  Many  of  them  are  very 
■  destructive  to  vegetation,  as,  for  example,  the  salt-marsh  cater- 
pillar, the  yellow  bear-caterpillar  of  our  gardens,  and  the  fall 
web-caterpillar.  When  about  to  transform,  they  creep  into 
the  chinks  of  walls  and  fences,  or  hide  themselves  under  stones 
and  fallen  leaves,  where  they  enclose  themselves  in  rough  oval 
cocoont*,  made  of  hairs,  plucked  from  their  own  bodies,  inter- 
woven with  a  few  silken  threads.  The  chrysalis  is  smooth, 
and  not  hairy,  and  its  joints  are  movable. 

Some  of  the  slender-bodied  Arctians,  with  bristle-formed 
antenna?,  which  are  not  distinctly  feathered  in  either  sex,  and 
having  the  feelers  slender,  and  the  tongue  longer  than  the 
others,  come  so  near  to  the  Lithosians  that  naturalists  arrange 
them  sometimes  among  the  latter,  and  sometimes  among 
the  Arctians.  They  belong  to  Latreille's  genus  Callimorpha 
(meaning  beautiful  form),  one  species  of  which  inhabits  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  is  called  Callimorpha  militarise  the  soldier- 
moth,  in  my  Catalogue.  Its  fore  wings  expand  about  two 
inches,  are  white,  almost  entirely  bordered  with  brown,  with 
an  oblique  band  of  the  same  color  from  the  inner  margin  to 
the  tip ;  and  the  brown  border  on  the  front  margin  generally 
has  two  short  angular  projections  extending  backwards  on  the 
surface  of  the  wing.  The  hind  wings  are  white,  and  without 
spots.  The  body  is  white ;  the  head,  collar,  and  thighs  buff- 
yellow  ;  and  a  longitudinal  brown  stripe  runs  along  the  top  of 
the  back  from  the  collar  to  the  tail.  This  is  a  very  variable 
moth ;  the  brown  markings  on  the  fore  wings  being  sometimes 
very  much  reduced  in  extent,  and  sometimes,  on  the  contrary, 
they  run  together  so  much  that  the  wings  appear  to  be  brown, 
with  five  large  white  spots.  This  latter  variety  is  named 
Callimorpha  Lecontci,  by  Dr.  Boisduval.  The  caterpillar  is 
unknown  to  me.  The  caterpillars  of  the  Callimorphas  are 
more  sparingly  clothed  with  hairs  than  the  other  Arctians; 
and  they  are  generally  dark  colored  with  longitudinal  yellow 


LEPIDOPTERA.  265 

stripe?.     They  feed  on  various  herbaceous  and  shrubby  plants, 
and  conceal  themselves  in  the  daytime  under  leaves  or  stones. 

Most  of  the  other  tiger  and  ermine  moths  of  Massachusetts 
may  be  arranged  under  the  general  name  of  Arctia.  The  first  of 
them  would  probably  be  placed  by  Mr.  Kirby  in  Callimorpha, 
from  which,  however,  they  differ  in  their  shorter  and  more  robust 
antennae,  always  very  distinctly  feathered,  at  least  in  the  males. 
They  are  distinguished  from  the  rest  by  having  two  black  spots 
on  the  collar,  and  three  short  black  stripes  on  the  thorax.  The 
largest  and  most  rare  of  these  moths  is  the  Arctia  virg-o,  or 
virgin  tiger-moth.  On  account  of  the  peculiarly  strong  and 
disagreeable  odor  which  it  gives  out,  it  might,  with  greater 
propriety,  have  been  named  the  stinking  tiger-moth.  It  is  a 
very  beautiful  insect.  Its  fore  wings  expand  from  two  inches 
to  two  and  a  half,  are  flesh-red,  fading  to  reddish  buff,  and 
covered  with  many  stripes  and  lance-shaped  spots  of  black; 
the  hind  wings  are  vermilion-red,  with  seven  or  eight  large 
black  blotches  ;  the  under  side  of  the  body  is  black,  the  upper 
side  of  the  abdomen  vermilion-red,  with  a  row  of  black  spots 
close  together  along  the  top  of  the  back.  The  caterpillar  is 
brown,  and  pretty  thickly  covered  with  tufts  of  brown  hairs. 
The  moth  appears  here  in  the  latter  part  of  July  and  August. 

The  Arg-e  tiger-moth  resembles  the  preceding,  but  is  smaller, 
and  not  so  highly  colored,  and  the  black  markings  on  the  fore 
wings  are  smaller,  and  separated  from  each  other  by  wider 
spaces.  Its  general  tint  is  a  light  flesh-color,  fading  to  nankin ; 
the  fore  wings  are  marked  with  streaks  and  small  triangular 
spots  of  black ;  the  hind  wings  are  generally  deeper  colored 
than  the  fore  wings,  and  have  from  five  to  seven  or  eight  black 
spots  of  different  sizes  upon  them ;  there  are  two  black  spots 
on  the  collar,  and  three  on  the  thorax,  as  in  the  preceding 
species ;  the  abdomen  is  of  the  color  of  the  hind  wings,  with  a 
longitudinal  row  of  black  dots  on  the  top,  another  on  each  side, 
and  two  rows,  of  larger  size,  beneath.  The  wings  expand  from 
one  inch  and  three  quarters  to  two  inches.  I  have  taken  this 
moth  from  the  twentieth  of  May  till  the  middle  of  July.  The 
caterpillar  appears  here  sometimes  in  large  swarms,  in  the 
month  of  October,  having  then  become  fully  grown,  measuring 
34 


266  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

about  one  inch  and  a  half  in  length,  and  being  at  this  time  in 
search  of  proper  winter  quarters  wherein  to  make  their  cocoons. 
They  are  of  a  dark  greenish  gray  color,  but  appear  almost 
black  from  the  black  spots  with  which  they  are  thickly  covered; 
there  are  three  longitudinal  stripes  of  flesh  white  on  the  back, 
and  a  row  of  kidney-shaped  spots  of  the  same  color  on  each 
side  of  the  body.  The  warts  are  dark  gray,  and  each  one  pro- 
duces a  thin  cluster  of  spreading  blackish  hairs.  They  eat  the 
leaves  of  plantain  and  of  other  herbaceous  plants,  and  it  is 
stated*  that  they  sometimes  make  great  devastation  among 
young  Indian  corn  in  the  Southern  States. 

A  much  more  abundant  species  in  Massachusetts  is  that 
which  has  been  called  the  harnessed  moth,  Arctia  phalerala  of 
my  Catalogue.  It  makes  its  appearance  from  the  end  of  May 
to  the  middle  of  August,  and  probably  breeds  throughout  the 
whole  summer.  It  is  of  a  pale  buff  or  nankin  color ;  the  hind 
wings  next  to  the  body  and  the  sides  of  the  body  are  reddish ; 
on  the  fore  wings  are  two  longitudinal  black  stripes  and  four 
triangular  black  spots,  the  latter  placed  near  the  tip ;  and  these 
stripes  and  spots  are  arranged  so  that  the  buff-colored  spaces 
between  them  somewhat  resemble  horse-harness;  the  hind 
wings  have  several  black  spots  near  the  margin ;  there  are  two 
dots  on  the  collar,  three  stripes  on  the  thorax,  and  a  stripe 
along  the  top  of  the  back,  of  a  black  color ;  the  under  side  of 
the  body  and  the  legs  are  also  black.  The  wings  expand  from 
one  inch  and  a  half  to  one  inch  and  three  quarters.  The 
caterpillar  is  not  yet  known  to  me.  This  moth,  in  many  re- 
spects, resembles  one  called  Pht/IIiraf  by  Drury,  rarely  found 
here,  but  abundant  in  the  Southern  States ;  the  fore  wings  of 
which  are  black,  with  one  longitudinal  line,  two  transverse 
lines,  and  near  the  tip  two  zigzag  lines  forming  a  W,  of  a  buff 
color. 

The  feelers  and  tongue  of  the  foregoing  moths,  though  short, 
are  longer  than  in  the  following  species,  which  have  these 
parts,  as  well  as  the  head,  smaller  and  more  covered  with  hairs. 
Some  of  the  latter  may  be  said  to  occupy  the  centre  or  chief 

*  Abbot's  Insects  of  Georgia,  p.  125,  pi.  63.         f  More  properly  Philyra. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  267 

place  among  the  Arctians,  exceeding  all  the  rest  in  the  breadth 
of  their  wings,  the  thickness  of  their  bodies,  and  the  richness 
of  their  colors.  Among  these  is  the  great  American  tiger- 
moth,  Arctia  Americana,  an  undescribed  species,  which  some 
of  the  French  entomologists*  have  supposed  to  be  the  same 
as  the  great  tiger,  Arctia  Caja,  of  Europe.  Of  this  fine  insect 
I  have  a  specimen,  which  was  presented  to  me  by  Mr.  Edward 
Doubleday,  who  obtained  it,  with  several  others,  near  Trenton 
Falls  in  New  York.  It  has  not  yet  been  discovered  in  Massa- 
chusetts, but  will  probably  be  found  in  the  western  part  of  the 
State.  The  fore  wings  of  the  Arctia  Americana  expand  two 
inches  and  a  half  or  more ;  they  are  of  a  brown  color,  with 
several  spots  and  broad  winding  lines  of  white,  dividing  the 
brown  surface  into  a  number  of  large  irregular  blotches ;  the 
hind  wings  are  ochre-yellow,  with  five  or  six  round  blue-black 
spots,  three  of  them  larger  than  the  rest ;  the  thorax  is  brown 
and  woolly;  the  collar  edged  with  white  before  and  with  crim- 
son behind ;  the  outer  edges  of  the  shoulder-covers  are  white ; 
the  abdomen  is  ochre-yellow,  with  four  black  spots  on  the  mid- 
dle of  the  back ;  the  thighs  and  fore  legs  are  red,  and  the  feet 
dark  brown.  This  moth  closely  resembles  the  European  Caja, 
and  especially  some  of  its  varieties,  from  all  of  which,  however, 
it  is  essentially  distinguished  by  the  white  edging  of  the  collar 
and  shoulder-covers,  and  the  absence  of  black  lines  on  the 
sides  of  the  body.  It  is  highly  probable  that  specimens  may 
occur  with  orange-colored  or  red  hind  wings  like  the  Caja,  but 
I  have  not  seen  any  such.  The  caterpillar  of  our  species  pro- 
bably resembles  that  of  the  Caja,  which  is  dark  chestnut-brown 
or  black,  clothed  with  spreading  bunches  of  hairs,  of  a  foxy  red 
color  on  the  fore  part  and  sides  of  the  body,  and  black  on  the 
back ;  but  the  clusters  of  hairs,  though  thick,  are  not  so  close 
as  to  conceal  the  breathing  holes,  which  form  a  distinct  row  of 
pearly  white  spots  on  each  side  of  the  body.  These  caterpil- 
lars eat  the  leaves  of  various  kinds  of  garden  plants,  without 
much  discrimination,  feeding  together  in  considerable  numbers 

*  Godart,  Lepidopt.  de  France,  T.  IV.,  p.  303.     It  is  figured  in  the  "  Lake 
Superior"  of  Agassiz  and  Cabot,  pi.  7,  fig.  5. 


268  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

on  the  same  plant  when  young,  but  scattering  as  they  gi'ow 
older. 

Of  all  the  hairy  caterpillars  frequenting  our  gardens,  there 
are  none  so  common  and  troublesome  as  that  which  I  have 
called  the  yellow  bear.  Like  most  of  its  genus  it  is  a  very 
general  feeder,  devouring  almost  all  kinds  of  herbaceous  plants 
with  equal  relish,  from  the  broad-leaved  plantain  at  the  door- 
side,  the  peas,  beans,  and  even  the  flowers  of  the  garden,  and 
the  corn  and  coarse  grasses  of  the  fields,  to  the  leaves  of  the 
vine,  the  currant,  and  the  gooseberry,  which  it  does  not  refuse 
when  pressed  by  hunger.  This  kind  of  caterpillar  varies  very 
much  in  its  colors ;  it  is  perhaps  most  often  of  a  pale  yellow 
or  straw  color,  with  a  black  line  along  each  side  of  the  body, 
and  a  transverse  line  of  the  same  color  between  each  of  the 
segments  or  rings,  and  it  is  covered  with  long  pale  yellow 
hairs.  Others  are  often  seen  of  a  rusty  or  brownish  yellow 
color,  with  the  same  black  lines  on  the  sides  and  between  the 
rings,  and  they  are  clothed  with  foxy  red  or  light  brown  hairs. 
The  head  and  ends  of  the  feet  are  ochre-yellow,  and  the  under 
side  of  the  body  is  blackish  in  all  the  varieties.  They  are  to 
be  found  of  different  ages  and  sizes  from  the  first  of  June  till 
October.  When  fully  grown  they  are  about  two  inches  long, 
and  then  creep  into  some  convenient  place  of  shelter,  make 
their  cocoons,  in  which  they  remain  in  the  chrysalis  state 
during  the  winter,  and  are  changed  to  moths  in  the  months  of 
May  or  June  following.  Some  of  the  first  broods  of  these 
caterpillars  appear  to  come  to  their  growth  early  in  summer, 
and  are  transformed  to  moths  by  the  end  of  July  or  the  be- 
ginning of  August,  at  which  time  I  have  repeatedly  taken 
them  in  the  winged  state ;  but  the  greater  part  pass  through 
their  last  change  in  June.  The  moth  is  familiarly  known  by 
the  name  of  the  white  miller,  and  is  often  seen  about  houses. 
Its  scientific  name  is  Arctia  Virginica,  and,  as  it  nearly  resem- 
bles the  insects  commonly  called  ermine-moths  in  England, 
we  may  give  to  it  the  name  of  the  Virginia  ermine-moth.  It 
s  v-'^ite,  with  a  black  point  on  the  middle  of  the  fore  wings, 
and  two  black  dots  on  the  hind  wings,  one  on  the  middle  and 
the  other  near  the  posterior  angle,  much  more  distinct  on  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  269 

under  than  on  the  upper  side ;  there  is  a  row  of  black  dots  on 
the  top  of  the  back,  another  on  each  side,  and  between  these 
a  longitudinal  deep  yellow  stripe ;  the  hips  and  thighs  of  the 
fore  legs  are  also  ochre-yellow.  It  expands  from  one  inch  and 
a  half  to  two  inches.  Its  eggs  are  of  a  golden  yeUow  color, 
and  are  laid,  in  patches,  upon  the  leaves  of  plants.  In  some 
parts  of  France,  and  in  Belgium,  the  people  have  been  re- 
quired by  law  to  echeniller,  or  uncaterpillar,  their  gardens  and 
orchards,  and  have  been  punished  by  fine  for  the  neglect  of 
the  duty.  Although  we  have  not  yet  become  so  prudent  and 
public  spirited  as  to  enact  similar  regulations,  we  might  find 
it  for  our  advantage  to  offer  a  bounty  for  the  destruction  of 
caterpillars ;  and  though  we  should  pay  for  them  by  the  quart, 
as  we  do  for  berries,  we  should  be  gainers  in  the  end ;  while 
the  children,  whose  idle  hours  were  occupied  in  the  picking  of 
them,  would  find  this  a  profitable  employment. 

The  salt-marsh  caterpillar,  an  insect  by  far  too  well  known 
on  our  seaboard,  and  now  getting  to  be  common  in  the  interior 
of  the  State,  whither  it  has  probably  been  introduced,  while 
under  the  chrysalis  form,  with  the  salt  hay  annually  carried 
from  the  coast  by  our  inland  farmers,  closely  resembles  the 
yellow  bear  in  some  of  its  varieties.  The  history  of  this  in- 
sect forms  the  subject  of  a  communication  made  by  me  to  the 
"Agricultural  Society  of  Massachusetts,"  in  the  year  1823, 
and  printed  in  the  seventh  volume  of  the  "Massachusetts 
Agricultural  Repository  and  Journal,"  with  figures  representing 
the  insect  in  its  different  stages.  At  various  times  and  inter- 
vals since  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  and  probably 
before  it  also,  the  salt  marshes  about  Boston  have  been  overrun 
and  laid  waste  by  swarms  of  caterpillars.  These  appear  to- 
wards the  end  of  June,  and  grow  rapidly  from  that  time  till 
the  first  of  August.  During  this  month  they  come  to  their 
full  size,  and  begin  to  run,  as  the  phrase  is,  or  retreat  from  the 
marshes,  and  disperse  through  the  adjacent  uplands,  often 
committing  very  extensive  ravages  in  their  progress.  Corn- 
fields, gardens,  and  even  the  rank  weeds  by  the  way-side,  afford 
them  temporary  nourishment  while  wandering  in  search  of  a 
place  of  security  from  the  tide  and  weather.     They  conceal 


270  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

themselves  in  walls,  under  stones,  in  hay-stacks  and  mows,  in 
wood-piles,  and  in  any  other  places  in  their  way,  which  will 
afford  them  the  proper  degree  of  shelter  during  the  winter. 
Here  they  make  their  coarse  hairy  cocoons,  and  change  to 
chrysalids,  in  which  form  they  remain  till  the  following  sum- 
mer, and  are  transformed  to  moths  in  the  month  of  June.  In 
those  cases  where,  from  any  cause,  the  caterpillars,  when 
arrived  at  maturity,  have  been  unable  to  leave  the  marshes, 
they  conceal  themselves  beneath  the  stubble,  and  there  make 
their  cocoons.  Such,  for  the  most  part,  is  the  course  and  dura- 
tion of  the  lives  of  these  insects  in  Massachusetts;  but  in  the 
Middle  and  Southern  States  two  broods  are  brought  to  perfec- 
tion annually;  and  even  here  some  of  them  run  through  their 
course  sooner,  and  produce  a  second  brood  of  caterpillars  in 
the  same  season;  for  I  have  obtained  the  moths  between  the 
fifteenth  and  twentieth  of  May,  and  again  between  the  first 
and  the  tenth  of  August.  Those  which  were  disclosed  in 
May  passed  the  winter  in  the  chrysalis  form,  while  the  moths 
which  appeared  in  August  must  have  been  produced  from 
caterpillars  that  had  come  to  their  growth,  and  gone  through 
all  their  transformations  during  the  same  summer.  This,  how- 
ever, in  Massachusetts,  is  not  a  common  occurrence;  for  by 
far  the  greater  part  of  these  insects  appear  at  one  time,  and 
require  a  year  to  complete  their  several  changes.  The  full- 
grown  caterpillar  measures  one  inch  and  three  quarters  or  more 
in  length.  .  It  is  clothed  with  long  hairs,  which  are  (sometimes 
black  and  sometimes  brown  on  the  back  and  fore  part  of  the 
body,  and  of  a  lighter  brown  color  on  the  sides.  The  hairs, 
like  those  of  the  other  Arctias,  grow  in  spreading  clusters  from 
warts,  which  are  of  a  yellowish  color  in  this  species.  The 
body,  when  stripped  of  the  hairs,  is  yellow,  shaded  at  the  sides 
with  black,  and  there  is  a  blackish  line  extending  along  the 
top  of  the  back.  The  breathing  holes  are  white,  and  very 
distinct  even  through  the  hairs.  These  caterpillars,  when 
feeding  on  the  marshes,  are  sometimes  overtaken  by  the  tide, 
and  when  escape  becomes  impossible,  they  roll  themselves  up 
in  a  circular  form,  as  is  common  with  others  of  the  tribe,  and 
abandon  themselves  to  their  fate.     The  hairs  on  their  bodies 


LEPIDOPTERA.  271 

seem  to  have  a  repelling  power,  and  prevent  the  water  from 
wetting  their  skins,  so  that  they  float  on  the  surface,  and  are 
often  carried  by  the  wares  to  distant  places,  where  they  are 
thrown  on  shore,  and  left  in  winrows  with  the  wash  of  the 
sea.     After  a  little  time  most  of  them  recover  from  their  half- 
drowned  condition,  and  begin  their  depredations  anew.     In 
this  way  these  insects  seem  to  have  spread  from  the  places 
where  they  first  appeared  to  others  at  a  considerable  distance. 
From  the  marshes  about  Cambridge  they  were  once,  it  is  said, 
driven  in  great  numbers,  by  a  high  tide  and  strong  wind,  upon 
Boston  neck,  near  to  Roxbury  line.     Thence  they  seem  to  have 
migrated  to  the  eastern  side  of  the  neck,  and,  following  the 
marshes  to  South  Boston  and  Dorchester,  they  have  spread  in 
the  course  of  time  to  those  which  border  upon  Neponset  river 
and  Quincy.     How  far  they  have  extended  north  of  Boston  I 
have  not  been  able  to  ascertain ;  but  I  believe  that  they  are 
occasionally  found  on  all  the  marshes  of  Chelsea,  Saugus,  and 
Lynn.     Although  these  insects  do  not  seem  ever  entnely  to 
have  disappeared  from  places  where  they  have,  once  established 
themselves,  they  do  not  prevail  every  year  in  the  same  over- 
w^helming  swarms ;  but  their  numbers  are  increased  or  lessened 
at  irregular  periods,  from  causes  which  are  not  well  understood. 
These  caterpillars  are  produced  from  eggs,  which  are  laid  by 
the  moths  on  the  grass  of  the  marshes  about  the  middle  of 
June,  and  are  hatched  in  seven  or  eight  days  afterwards,  and 
the  number  of  eggs  deposited  by  a  single  female  is,  on  an 
average,  about  eight  hundred.     The  moths  themselves  vary 
in  color.     In  the  males,  the  thorax  and  upper  side  of  the  fore 
wings  are  generally  white,  the  latter  spotted  with  black ;  the 
hind  wings  and  abdomen,  except  the  tail,  deep  ochre-yellow, 
the  former  with  a  few  black  spots  near  the  hind  margin,  and 
the  abdomen  with  a  row  of  six  black  spots  on  the  top  of  the 
back,  two  row^s  on  the  sides,  and  one  on  the  belly ;  the  under 
side  of  all  the  wings  and  the  thighs  are  deep  yellow.     It  ex- 
pands from  one  inch  and  seven  eighths  to  two  inches  and  a 
quarter.     The  female  differs  from  the  male  either  in  having  the 
hind  wings  white,  instead  of  ochre-yellow,  or  in  having  all  the 
wings  ashen  gray  wdth  the  usual  black  spots.     It  expands  two 


27:2  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

inches  and  three  eighths  or  more.  Sometimes,  though  rarely, 
male  moths  occur  with  the  fore  wings  ash-colored  or  dusky. 
Professor  Peclc  called  this  moth  pseifderminea,  that  is,  false 
ermine,  and  this  name  was  adopted  by  me  in  my  communica- 
tion to  the  "  Agricultural  Society."  Professor  Peck's  name, 
however,  cannot  be  retained,  inasmuch  as  the  insect  had  been 
previously  named  and  described.  Drury,  the  first  describer  of 
the  moth,  called  the  male  Caprotina,  and  the  female  Acrea* 
supposing  them  to  be  different  species ;  but  the  latter  name 
alone  has  been  retained  for  this  species  by  most  naturalists. 

In  order  to  lessen  the  ravages  of  the  salt-marsh  caterpillars, 
and  to  secure  a  fair  crop  of  hay  when  these  insects  abound, 
the  marshes  should  be  mowed  early  in  July,  at  which  time  the 
caterpillars  are  small  and  feeble,  and  being  unable  to  wander 
far,  will  die  before  the  crop  is  gathered  in.  In  defence  of  early 
mowing,  it  may  be  said  that  it  is  the  only  way  by  which  the 
grass  may  be  saved  in  those  meadows  where  the  caterpillars 
have  multiplied  to  any  extent;  and,  if  the  practice  is  followed 
generally,  and  continued  during  several  years  in  succession,  it 
will  do  much  towards  exterminating  these  destructive  insects. 
By  the  practice  of  late  mowing,  where  the  caterpillars  abound, 
a  great  loss  in  the  crop  will  be  sustained,  immense  numbers  of 
caterpillars  and  grasshoppers  will  be  left  to  grow  to  maturity 
and  disperse  upon  the  uplands,  by  which  means  the  evil  will 
go  on  increasing  from  year  to  year;  or  they  will  be  brought  in 
with  the  hay  to  perish  in  our  barns  and  stacks,  where  their 
dead  bodies  will  prove  offensive  to  the  cattle,  and  occasion  a 
waste  of  fodder.  To  get  rid  of  "  the  old  fog"  or  stubble,  which 
becomes  much  thicker  and  longer  in  consequence  of  early 
mowing,  the  marshes  should  be  burnt  over  in  March.  The 
roots  of  the  grass  will  not  be  injured  by  burning  the  stubble, 
on  the  contrary  they  will  be  fertilized  by  the  ashes;  while 
great  numbers  of  young  grasshoppers,  cocoons  of  caterpillars, 
and  various  kinds  of  destructive  insects,  with  their  eggs,  con- 
cealed in  the  stubble,  will  be  destroyed  by  the  fire.  In  the 
Province  of  New  Brunswick,  the  benefit  arising  from  burning 

*  The  proper  orthography  is  Acraa. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  273 

the  stubble  has  long  been  proved;  and  this  practice  is  getting 
into  favor  here. 

During  the  autumn,  there  may  be  seen  in  our  gardens  and 
fields,  and  even  by  the  way-side,  a  kind  of  caterpillar  whose 
peculiar  appearance  must  frequently  have  excited  attention. 
It  is  very  thickly  clothed  with  hairs,  which  are  stiff,  short,  and 
perfectly  even  at  the  ends,  like  the  bristles  of  a  brush,  as  if  they 
had  all  been  shorn  off  with  shears  to  the  same  length.  The 
hairs  on  the  first  four  and  last  two  rings  are  black ;  and  those 
on  the  six  intermediate  rings  of  the  body  are  tan-red.  The 
head  and  body  of  the  caterpillar  are  also  black.  When  one  of 
these  insects  is  taken  up,  it  immediately  rolls  itself  into  a  ball, 
like  a  hedge-hog,  and,  owing  to  its  form,  and  to  the  elasticity 
of  the  diverging  hairs  with  which  it  is  covered,  it  readily  slides 
from  the  fingers  and  hand  of  its  captor.  It  eats  the  leaves  of 
clover,  dandelion,  narrow-leaved  plantain,  and  of  various  other 
herbaceous  plants,  and,  on  the  approach  of  winter,  creeps  under 
stones,  rails,  or  boards  on  the  ground,  where  it  remains  in  a 
half  torpid  state  till  spring.  In  April  or  May  it  makes  an  oval 
blackish  cocoon,  composed  chiefly  of  the  hairs  of  its  body,  and 
comes  forth  in  the  moth  state  in  June  or  July.  My  specimens 
remained  in  the  chrysalis  form  five  weeks;  but  Mr.  Abbot* 
states  that  a  caterpillar  of  this  kind,  which  made  its  cocoon  in 
Georgia  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  June,  was  transformed  to  a 
moth  on  the  fifth  of  July,  having  remained  only  eleven  days 
in  the  chrysalis  state.  The  moth  is  the  Arctia  Isabella,  or 
Isabella  tiger-moth,  and  it  differs  essentially  from  those  which 
have  been  described,  in  the  antennas,  which  are  not  feathered, 
but  are  merely  covered  on  the  under  side  with  a  few  fine  and 
short  hairs,  and  even  these  are  found  only  in  the  males.  Its 
color  is  a  dull  grayish  tawny  yellow;  there  are  a  few  black 
dots  on  the  wings,  and  the  hinder  pair  are  frequently  tinged 
with  orange-red ;  on  the  top  of  the  back  is  a  row  of  about  six 
black  dots,  and  on  each  side  of  the  body  a  similar  row  of  dots. 
The  wings  expand  from  two  inches  to  two  inches  and  three 
eighths.     The  specific  name,  which  was  f^st  given  to  this 

•  Insects  of  Georgia,  p.  131,  pi.  66. 

35 


274  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

moth  by  Sir  James  Edward  Smith,  is  expressive  of  its  peculiar 
shade  of  yellow. 

We  have  a  much  smaller  tiger-moth,  with  naked  antennas 
like  those  of  the  Isabella.  Its  wings  are  so  thinly  covered 
with  scales  as  to  be  almost  transparent.  It  has  not  yet  been 
described,  and  it  may  be  called  the  ruddle  tiger-moth,  Arctia 
rubricosa.  Its  fore  wings  are  reddish  brown,  with  a  small 
black  spot  near  the  middle  of  each;  its  hind  wings  are  dusky, 
becoming  blacker  behind  (more  rarely  red,  with  a  broad  black- 
ish border  behind),  with  two  black  dots  near  the  middle,  the 
inner  margin  next  to  the  body,  and  the  fringe,  of  a  red  color; 
the  thorax  is  reddish  brown ;  and  the  abdomen  is  cinnabar-red, 
with  a  row  of  black  dots  on  the  top,  and  another  row  on  each 
side.  It  expands  about  one  inch  and  one  quarter.  This  moth 
is  rare ;  and  it  appears  here  in  July  and  August.  It  closely 
resembles  the  ruby  tiger-moth,  Arctia  fulig-inosa,  of  Europe, 
the  wings  of  which  are  not  so  transparent,  and  have  two  black 
dots  on  each  of  them,  with  a  distinct  row  of  larger  black  spots 
around  the  outer  margin  of  the  hind  pair.  The  caterpillar  of 
our  moth  is  unknown  to  me;  it  will  probably  be  found  to. 
resemble  that  of  the  ruby  tiger,  which  is  blackish,  and  thickly 
covered  with  reddish  brown  or  reddish  gray  hairs.  It  eats  the 
leaves  of  plantain,  dock,  and  of  various  other  herbaceous 
plants,  grows  to  the  length  of  one  inch  and  three  eighths, 
passes  the  winter  concealed  beneath  stones,  or  in  the  crevices 
of  walls,  and  makes  its  cocoon  in  the  spring. 

The  caterpillars  of  all  the  foregoing  Arctians  live  almost 
entirely  upon  herbaceous  plants;  those  which  follow  (with  one 
exception  only),  devour  the  leaves  of  trees.  Of  the  latter,  the 
iriost  common  and  destructive  are  the  little  caterpillars  known 
by  the  name  of  fall  web-worms,  whose  large  webs,  sometimes 
extending  over  entire  branches  with  their  leaves,  may  be  seen 
on  our  native  elms,  and  also  on  apple  and  other  fruit  trees,  in 
the  latter  part  of  summer.  The  eggs,  from  which  these  cater- 
pillars proceed,  are  laid  by  the  parent  moth  in  a  cluster  upon  a 
leaf  near  the  extremity  of  a  branch;  they  are  hatched  from 
the  last  of  June  till  the  middle  of  August,  some  broods  being 
early  and  others  late,  and  the  young  Caterpillars  immediately 


LEPIDOPTERA.  275 

begin  to  provide  a  shelter  for  themselves,  by  covering  the  upper 
side  of  the  leaf  with  a  web,  which  is  the  result  of  the  united 
labors  of  the  whole  brood.  They  feed  in  company  beneath 
this  web,  devouring  only  the  upper  skin  and  pulpy  portion  of 
the  leaf,  leaving  the  veins  and  lower  skin  of  the  leaf  untouched. 
As  they  increase  in  size,  they  enlarge  their  web,  carrying  it 
over  the  next  lower  leaves,  all  the  upper  and  pulpy  parts  of 
which  are  eaten  in  the  same  way,  and  thus  they  continue  to 
work  downwards,  till  finally  the  web  covers  a  large  portion  of 
the  branch,  with  its  dry,  brown,  and  filmy  foliage,  reduced  to 
this  unseemly  condition  by  these  little  spoilers.  These  cater- 
pillars, when  fully  grown,  measure  rather  more  than  one  inch 
in  length ;  their  bodies  are  more  slender  than  those  of  the  other 
Arctians,  and  are  very  thinly  clothed  with  hairs  of  a  grayish 
color,  intermingled  with  a  few  which  are  black.  The  general 
color  of  the  body  is  greenish  yellow  dotted  with  black ;  there 
is  a  broad  blackish  stripe  along  the  top  of  the  back,  and  a 
bright  yellow  stripe  on  each  side.  The  warts,  from  which  the 
thin  bundles  of  spreading,  silky  hairs  proceed,  are  black  on  the 
back,  and  rust-yellow  or  orange  on  the  sides.  The  head  and 
feet  are  black.  I  have  not  observed  the  exact  length  of  time 
required  by  these  insects  to  come  to  maturity;  but  towards 
the  end  of  August  and  during  the  month  of  September  they 
leave  the  trees,  disperse,  and  wander  about,  eating  such  plants 
as  happen  to  lie  in  their  course,  till  they  have  found  suitable 
places  of  shelter  and  concealment,  where  they  make  their  thin 
and  almost  transparent  cocoons,  composed  of  a  slight  web  of 
silk  intermingled  with  a  few  hairs.  They  remain  in  the  cocoons 
in  the  chrysalis  state  through  the  winter,  and  are  transformed 
to  moths  in  the  months  of  June  and  July.  These  moths  are 
white,  and  without  spots;  the  fore  thighs  are  tawny  yellow, 
and  the  feet  blackish.  Their  wings  expand  from  one  inch  and 
a  quarter  to  one  inch  and  three  eighths.  Their  antennte  and 
feelers  do  not  differ  essentially  from  those  of  the  majority  of 
the  Arctians,  the  former  in  the  males  being  doubly  feathered 
beneath,  and  those  of  the  females  having  two  rows  of  minute 
teeth  on  the  under  side.  This  species  was  first  described  by 
me  in  the  seventh  volume  of  the  "New  England  Farmer," 


276  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

page  33,  whore  I  gave  to  it  the  name  of  Arctia  textor,  the 
weaver,  from  the  Mrell-known  habits  of  its  caterpillar.  Should 
it  be  found  expedient  to  remove  it  from  the  genus  Arctia,  I 
propose  to  call  the  genus,  which  shall  include  it,  Hyphantria, 
a  Greek  name  for  weaver,  and  place  in  the  same  genus  the 
many-spotted  ermine-moth,  Arctia  punctatissima  of  Sir  J.  E. 
Smith,  which  is  found  in  the  Southern  States,  and  agrees  with 
our  weaver  in  habits.  From  the  foregoing  account  of  the 
habits  and  transformations  of  the  fall  web-worm,  or  Hyphantria 
textor,  it  is  evident  that  the  only  time  in  which  we  can  attempt 
to  exterminate  these  destructive  insects  with  any  prospect  of 
success,  is  when  they  are  young  and  just  beginning  to  make 
their  webs  on  the  trees.  So  soon,  then,  as  the  webs  begin  to 
appear  on  the  extremities  of  the  branches,  they  should  be 
stripped  off,  with  the  few  leaves  which  they  cover,  and  the 
caterpillars  contained  therein,  at  one  grasp,  and  should  be 
crushed  under  foot. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  hairy  caterpillars  in  Massachusetts, 
differing  remarkably  from  those  of  the  other  Arctians,  and  re- 
sembling in  some  respects  those  belonging  to  the  next  tribe, 
with  which  they  appear  to  connect  the  true  Arctians.  The 
first  of  these  are  little  party-colored  tufted  caterpillars,  which 
may  be  found  in  great  plenty  on  the  common  milk-weed, 
Asclepias  Syriaca,  daring  the  latter  part  of  July  and  the  whole 
of  August.  Although  the  plants  on  which  these  insects  live 
are  generally  looked  upon  as  weeds,  and  cumberers  of  the  soil, 
yet  the  insects  themselves  are  deserving  of  notice,  on  account 
of  their  singularity,  and  the  place  that  they  fill  in  the  order  to 
which  they  belong.  They  keep  together  in  companies,  side  by 
side,  beneath  the  leaves,  their  heads  all  turned  towards  the 
edge  of  the  leaf  while  they  are  eating,  and  when  at  rest  they 
arch  up  the  fore  part  of  the  body  and  bend  down  the  head, 
which  is  then  completely  concealed  by  long  overhanging  tufts 
of  hairs,  and  if  disturbed  they  jerk  their  heads  and  bodies  in  a 
very  odd  way.  These  harlequin  caterpillars  have  sixteen  legs, 
which,  with  the  head,  are  black.  Their  bodies  are  black  also, 
with  a  whitish  line  on  each  side,  and  are  thickly  covered  with 
short  tufts  of  hairs  proceeding  from  little  warts.     Along  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  277 

top  of  the  back  is  a  row  of  short  black  tufts,  and  on  each  side, 
from  the  fifth  to  the  tenth  ring  inclusive,  are  alternate  tufts  of 
orange  and  of  yellow  hairs,  curving  upwards  so  as  nearly  to 
conceal  the  black  tufts  between  them;  below  these  along  the 
sides  of  the  body  is  a  row  of  horizontal  black  tufts;  on  the 
first  and  second  rings  are  four  long  pencil-like  black  tufts 
extending  over  the  head,  on  each  side  of  the  third  ring  is  a 
similar  black  pencil,  and  two,  which  are  white,  placed  in  the 
same  manner  on  the  sides  of  the  fourth  and  of  the  tenth  rings. 
About  the  last  of  August,  and  during  the  month  of  September, 
these  caterpillars  leave  the  milk-weed,  disperse,  conceal  them- 
selves, and  make  their  cocoons,  which  mostly  consist  of  hairs. 
The  chrysalis  is  short,  almost  egg-shaped,  being  quite  blunt 
and  rounded  at  the  hind  end,  and  is  covered  with  little  punc- 
tures like  those  on  the  head  of  a  thimble,  only  much  smaller. 
The  chrysalids  are  transformed  to  moths  between  the  middle 
of  June  and  the  beginning  of  July.  These  moths,  though  not 
so  slender  as  the  Callimorphas,  are  not  so  thick  and  robust  as 
the  Arctias,  their  antennae  resemble  those  of  the  latter,  but  are 
rather  longer,  the  feelers  are  also  longer,  and  spread  apart  from 
each  other,  and  the  tongue  is  but  little  longer  than  the  head, 
when  unrolled.  The  wings  are  rather  long,  thin,  and  delicate, 
of  a  bluish  gray  color,  paler  on  the  front  edge,  and  without 
spots;  the  head,  thorax,  under  side  of  the  body,  and  the  legs 
are  also  gray;  the  neck  is  cream-colored;  the  top  of  the  abdo- 
men bright  Indian-yellow,  with  a  row  of  black  spots,  and  two 
rows  on  each  side.  It  expands  from  one  inch  and  three  quar- 
ters to  nearly  two  inches.  This  moth  was  figured  and  described 
many  years  ago  by  Drury,  who  named  it  Eg-Ie.  Though  marked 
and  colored  like  some  of  the  Arctias  (for  example,  the  luctifera 
of  Europe),  it  cannot  with  propriety  be  included  in  the  same 
genus,  and  therefore  I  have  proposed  to  call  it  Euchcctes  Egle; 
the  first  name,  signifying  fine-haired,  or  having  a  flowing  mane, 
is  given  to  it  on  account  of  the  long  tufts  of  hairs  overhanging 
the  fore  part  of  the  caterpillar  like  a  mane.  This  moth,  in 
some  of  its  characters,  approaches  to  the  Lithosians,  but  seems, 
in  others,  too  near  to  the  Arctians  to  be  removed  from  the 
latter  tribe,  and  it  is  evidently,  in  the  caterpillar  state,  nearly 


278  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

allied  to  the  following  insects,  which  are  undoubtedly  Arctians, 
but  lead  apparently  to  the  Liparians.  If  our  Arctians  are 
grouped  in  a  circle,  with  the  larger  kinds,  such  as  the  great 
American  tiger  and  leopard  moths  in  the  middle,  and  the  others 
arranged  around  them,  then  will  these  species,  which  are  here 
described  last,  be  brought  round  to  the  Callimorphas,  with 
which  the  series  began,  and  thus  a  natural  order  of  succession 
will  be  preserved. 

During  the  months  of  August  and  September,  there  may  be 
seen  on  the  hickory,  and  frequently  also  on  the  elm  and  ash, 
troops  of  caterpillars,  covered  with  short  spreading  tufts  of 
white  hairs,  with  a  row  of  eight  black  tufts  on  the  back,  and 
two  long,  slender,  black  pencils  on  the  fourth  and  on  the  tenth 
ring.  The  tufts  along  the  top  of  the  back  converge  on  each 
side,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  ridge  or  crest;  and  the  warts, 
from  which  these  tufts  proceed,  are  oblong-oval  and  transverse, 
while  the  other  warts  on  the  body  are  round.  The  hairs  on 
the  fore  part  of  the  body  are  much  longer  than  the  rest,  and 
hang  over  the  head;  the  others  are  short,  as  if  sheared  oif,  and 
spreading.  The  head,  feet,  and  belly,  are  black;  the  upper 
side  of  the  body  is  white,  sprinkled  with  black  dots,  and  with 
black  transverse  lines  between  the  rings.  These  neat  and 
pretty  caterpillars,  when  young,  feed  in  company  on  the  leaves; 
while  not  engaged  in  eating,  they  bend  down  the  head  and 
bring  over  it  the  long  hairs  on  the  fore  part  of  the  body;  and, 
if  disturbed  or  handled,  they  readily  roll  up  like  the  other 
Arctians.  When  fully  grown,  they  are  nearly  one  inch  and  a 
half  long.  They  leave  the  trees  in  the  latter  part  of  September, 
secrete  themselves  under  stones,  and  in  the  chinks  of  walls, 
and  make  their  cocoons,  which  are  oval,  thin,  and  hairy,  like 
those  of  the  other  Arctians.  The  chrysalis  is  short,  thick,  and 
rather  blunt,  but  not  rounded  at  the  hinder  end,  and  not  downy. 
The  moths,  which  come  out  of  the  cocoons  during  the  month 
of  June,  are  of  a  very  light  ochre-yellow  color;  the  fore  wings 
are  long,  rather  narrow,  and  almost  pointed,  are  thickly  and 
finely  sprinkled  with  little  brown  dots,  and  have  two  oblique 
brownish  streaks  passing  backwards  from  the  front  edge,  with 
three  rows  of  white  semitransparent  spots  parallel  to  the  outer 


LEPIDOPTERA.  279 

hind  margin ;  the  hind  wings  are  very  thin,  semitransparent, 
and  without  spots;  and  the  shoulder-covers  are  edged  within 
with  light  brown.  They  expand  from  one  inch  and  seven 
eighths  to  two  inches  and  a  quarter  or  more.  The  wings  are 
roofed  when  at  rest;  the  antennee  are  long,  with  a  double, 
narrow,  feathery  edging,  in  the  males,  and  a  double  row  of 
short,  slender  teeth  on  the  under  side,  in  the  females;  the 
feelers  are  longer  than  in  the  other  Arctians,  and  not  at  all 
hairy;  and  the  tongue  is  short,  but  spirally  curled.  This  kind 
of  moth  does  not  appear  to  have  been  described  before,  and  it 
cannot  be  placed  in  any  of  the  modern  genera  belonging  to 
the  Arctians;  for  this  reason  I  propose  to  call  it  Lophocampa 
Cari/ce;  the  first  name  meaning  crested  caterpillar,  and  the 
second  being  the  scientific  name  of  the  hickory,  on  which  it 
lives.  In  England,  the  moths,  that  come  from  caterpillars 
having  long  pencils  and  tufts  on  their  backs,  are  called  tussock- 
moths  ;  we  may  name  the  one  under  consideration  the  hickory 
tussock-moth. 

In  August  and  September  I  have  seen  on  the  black  walnut, 
the  butternut,  the  ash,  and  even  on  the  oak,  caterpillars  ex- 
actly resembling  the  foregoing  in  shape,  but  differing  in  color, 
being  covered,  when  young,  with  brownish  yellow  tufts,  of  a 
darker  color  on  the  ridge  of  the  back,  and  having  four  long 
white  and  two  black  pencils  extending  over  the  head  from 
the  second  ring,  and  two  black  pencils  on  the  eleventh  ring; 
when  they  are  fully  grown  they  are  covered  with  ash-colored 
tufts,  those  on  the  ridge  blackish;  the  head  is  black,  the 
body  black  or  greenish  black  above,  and  whitish  beneath, 
and  the  legs  are  rust-yellow.  This  is  evidently  a  different 
species  or  kind  from  the  hickory  tussock,  being  differently 
colored,  and  having  the  two  hindmost  pencils  placed  on  the 
eleventh  and  not  on  the  tenth  ring.  I  have  not  yet  succeeded 
in  keeping  these  caterpillars  alive  until  they  had  finished  their 
transformations. 

In  my  collection  are  specimens  of  a  moth  closely  resembling 
the  hickory  tussock  in  every  thing  except  size  and  color.  It 
may  be  named  Lophocampa  maculata,  the  spotted  tussock-moth. 
It  is  of  a  light  ochre-yellow  color,  with  large  irregular  light 


280  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

brown  spots  on  the  fore  wings,  arranged  almost  in  transverse 
bands.  It  expands  nearly  one  inch  and  three  quarters.  The 
caterpillar,  as  far  as  I  can  judge  from  a  shrivelled  specimen, 
was  covered  with  whitish  tufts  forming  a  crest  on  the  back, 
in  which  were  situated  eight  black  tufts;  there  was  a  black 
pencil  on  each  side  of  the  fourth  and  of  the  tenth  ring,  and  a 
quantity  of  long  white  hairs  overhanging  the  head  and  the 
hinder  extremity;  the  head  was  black;  but  the  color  of  the 
body  cannot  be  ascertained. 

A  fourth  kind  of  Lophocampa^  or  crested  caterpillar,  remains 
to  be  described.  It  is  very  common,  throughout  the  United 
States,  on  the  button-wood  or  sycamore,  upon  which  it  may 
be  seen  in  great  numbers  in  July  and  August.  The  tufts  on 
these  caterpillars  are  light  yellow  or  straw-colored,  the  crest 
being  very  little  darker;  on  the  second  and  third  rings  are  two 
orange-colored  pencils,  which  are  stretched  over  the  head  when 
the  insect  is  at  rest,  and  before  these  are  several  long  tufts  of 
white  hairs;  on  each  side  of  the  third  ring  is  a  white  pencil, 
and  there  are  two  pencils,  of  the  same  color,  directed  back- 
wards, on  the  eleventh  ring.  The  body  is  yellowish  white, 
with  dusky  warts,  and  the  head  is  brownish  yellow.  These 
caterpillars  leave  the  trees  towards  the  end  of  August,  and 
conceal  themselves  in  crevices  of  fences,  and  under  stones, 
and  make  their  cocoons,  which  resemble  those  of  the  hickory 
tussock;  and  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  end  of  July  the 
moths  come  forth.  These  moths  are  faintly  tinged  with  ochre- 
yellow;  their  long,  narrow,  delicate,  and  semitransparent  wings 
lie  almost  flatly  on  the  top  of  the  back;  the  upper  pair  are 
checkered  with  dusky  spots,  arranged  so  as  to  form  five  irregu- 
lar transverse  bands;  the  hind  edge  of  the  collar,  and  the  inner 
edges  of  the  shoulder-covers  are  greenish  blue,  and  between 
the  latter  are  two  short  and  narrow  deep  yellow  stripes;  the 
upper  side  of  the  abdomen  and  of  the  legs  are  deep  ochre- 
yellow.  The  wings  expand  about  two  inches.  The  name  of 
this  beautiful  and  delicate  moth  is  Lophocampa  tessellaris,  the 
checkered  tussock-moth.  It  is  figured  and  described  in  Smith 
and  Abbot's  "  Insects  of  Georgia,"  where,  however,  the  cater- 
pillar is  not  correctly  represented.     Mr.  Abbot's  figure  of  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  281 

caterpillar  has  been  copied  in  the  illustrations  accompanying 
Cuvier's  last  edition  of  the  "  Regne  Animal,"  and  is  there 
referred  to  Latreille's  genus  Sericaria.  This  includes,  besides 
various  other  insects  having  no  resemblance  to  the  foregoing, 
the  true  tussock  caterpillars  belonging  to  the  next  group;  but 
from  these  the  caterpillars  of  all  the  kinds  of  Lophocampa  differ 
essentially  in  being  much  more  hairy,  in  not  having  the  warts 
on  the  sides  of  the  first  ring  longer  than  the  rest,  and  in  being 
destitute  of  the  little  retractile  vesicles  on  the  top  of  the  ninth 
and  tenth  rings;  moreover  their  chrysalids  are  not  covered 
with  short  hairs  in  clusters  or  ridges.  On  the  other  hand  they 
agree  with  the  Arctians  in  being  covered  with  warts  and 
spreading  bunches  of  hairs,  in  rolling  up  like  a  ball  when 
handled,  and  in  the  form  and  structure  of  their  cocoons.  The 
position  of  the  wings  of  the  checkered  tussock-moth,  when  at 
rest,  is  almost  exactly  like  that  of  some  of  the  Lithosians;  but 
the  other  kinds  of  Lophocampa  do  not  cross  the  inner  edges 
of  the  wings;  and  the  bodies  of  all  of  them  are  much  thicker 
and  more  robust  than  those  of  the  Lithosians. 

The  third  group  or  family  of  Bombyces  may  be  called  Li- 
parians  (Liparid.e*).  Of  the  moths  bearing  this  name,  the 
females  have  remarkably  thick  bodies,  and  are  sometimes  des- 
titute of  wings,  while  the  males  are  generally  slender,  and 
have  rather  broad  wings.  Their  feelers  are  very  hairy,  and  for 
the  most  part  are  rather  longer  than  those  of  the  Arctians. 
Their  tongues  are  very  short,  and  invisible  or  concealed. 
Their  antennae  are  short,  and  bent  like  a  bow,  and  doubly 
feathered  on  the  under  side,  the  feathering  of  those  of  the 
males  being  very  wide,  and  of  the  females  mostly  narrow. 
When  at  rest,  these  moths  stretch  out  their  hairy  fore  legs 
before  their  bodies,  and  keep  their  upper  and  lower  wings 
together  over  their  backs,  sloping  a  very  little  at  the  sides, 
and  covering  the  abdomen  like  a  low  or  flattened  roof.  The 
females,  even  of  those  kinds  that  are  provided  with  wings,  are 

*  From  Liparis,  more  properly  Ltparus,  the  name  of  a  genus  of  moths,  belong- 
inf  to  this  group.  This  name  means  fat  or  gross,  and  was  probably  assigned  to 
the  genus  on  account  of  the  thickness  of  the  bodies  of  some  of  these  moths. 

36 


282  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

very  sluggish  and  heavy  in  their  motions,  and  seldom  go  far 
from  their  cocoons ;  the  males  frequently  fly  by  day  in  search 
of  tiieir  mates.  The  caterpillars  of  most  of  the  Liparians  are 
half  naked,  their  thin  hairs  growing  chiefly  on  the  sides  of 
their  bodies;  the  warts  which  furnish  them  being  only  six  or 
eight*  in  number  on  each  ring;  and  they  have  two  little  soft 
and  reddish  warts  (one  on  the  top  of  the  ninth,  and  the  other 
on  the  tenth  ring),  which  can  be  drawn  in  and  out  at  pleasure. 
Some  of  them  have  four  or  five  short  and  thick  tufts,  cut  off" 
square  at  the  ends,  on  the  top  of  the  back,  two  long  and  slender 
pencils  of  hairs  extending  forwards,  like  antennae,  from  the  first 
ring,  sometimes  two  more  pencils  on  the  fifth  ring,  and  a  single 
pencil  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh  ring.  The  warts  which  pro- 
duce these  pencils  are  more  prominent  or  longer  than  the  rest. 
These  caterpillars  are  called  tussocks  in  England,  from  the 
tufts  on  their  backs.  They  live  upon  trees  and  shrubs,  and, 
when  at  rest,  they  bend  down  the  head,  and  bring  over  it  the 
long  plume-like  pencils  of  the  first  ring.  Their  cocoons  are 
large,  thin,  and  flattened,  and  consist  of  a  soft  kind  of  silk, 
intermixed  with  which  are  a  few  hairs.  The  chrysalids  are 
covered  with  down  or  short  hairs,  and  end  at  the  tail  with  a 
long  projecting  point.  In  Europe  there  are  many  kinds  of 
Liparians,  some  of  them  at  times  exceedingly  injurious  to 
vegetation,  their  caterpillars  devouring  the  leaves  of  fruit-trees, 
and  not  unfrequently  extending  their  devastations  to  the  hedges, 
and  even  to  the  corn  and  grass.f  There  do  not  appear  to  be 
many  kinds  in  the  United  States,  and  they  never  swarm  to 
the  same  extent  as  in  Europe. 

During  the  months  of  July  and  August,  there  may  be  found 
on  apple-trees  and  rose-bushes,  and  sometimes  on  other  trees 
and  shrubs,  little  slender  caterpillars  of  a  bright  yellow  color, 


*  The  Arctians  have  ten  or  more  warts  on  each  ring. 

t  These  destructive  kinds  are  the  caterpillars  of  the  brown-tailed  moth  (Por- 
thesia  auriflua),  of  the  golden-tailed  moth  {Porthesia  chrysorrhaa),  of  the  gipsey- 
moth  {Uypogymna  dispar),  and  of  the  black  arches-moth  {Psilura  monacha).  The 
first  of  these  abounded  to  such  an  extent  in  England,  in  the  year  1782,  that 
prayers  were  ordered  to  be  read  in  all  the  churches,  to  avert  the  destruction 
which,  was  anticipated  from  them. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  283 

sparingly  clothed  with  long  and  fine  yellow  hairs  on  the  sides 
of  the  body,  and  having  four  short  and  thick  brush-like  yel- 
lowish tufts  on  the  back,  that  is  on  the  fourth  and  three  follow- 
ing rings,  two  long  black  plurnes  or  pencils  extending  forwards 
from  the  first  ring,  and  a  single  plume  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh 
ring.  The  head,  and  the  two  little  retractile  warts  on  the  ninth 
and  tenth  rings  are  coral  red ;  there  is  a  narrow  black  or  brown- 
ish stripe  along  the  top  of  the  back,  and  a  wider  dusky  stripe 
on  each  side  of  the  body.  These  pretty  caterpillars  do  not 
ordinarily  herd  together,  but  sometimes  our  apple-trees  are 
much  infested  by  them,  as  was  the  case  in  the  summer  of 
1828.  In  the  summers  of  1848,  1849,  and  1850,  they  were 
very  numerous  on  trees  in  Boston,  both  in  private  yards  and 
on  the  Common,  where  the  horsechestnuts,  which  seem  ordi- 
narily to  escape  the  attacks  of  insects,  were  almost  entirely 
stripped  of  their  leaves  by  these  insects.  When  they  have 
done  eating,  they  spin  their  cocoons  on  the  leaves,  or  on  the 
branches  or  trunks  of  the  trees,  or  on  fences  in  the  vicinity. 
The  chrysalis  is  not  only  beset  with  little  hairs  or  down,  but 
has  three  oval  clusters  of  branny  scales  on  the  back.  In  about 
eleven  days  after  the  change  to  the  chrysalis  is  effected,  the 
last  transformation  follows,  and  the  insects  come  forth  in  the 
adult  state,  the  females  wingless,  and  the  males  with  large 
ashen  gray  wings,  crossed  by  wavy  darker  bands  on  the  upper 
pair,  on  which,  moreover,  is  a  small  black  spot  near  the  tip, 
and  a  minute  white  crescent  near  the  outer  hind  angle.  The 
body  of  the  male  is  small  and  slender,  with  a  row  of  little 
tufts  along  the  back,  and  the  wings  expand  one  inch  and  three 
eighths.  The  females  are  of  a  lighter  gray  color  than  the 
males,  their  bodies  are  very  thick,  and  of  an  oblong  oval  shape, 
and,  though  seemingly  wingless,  upon  close  examination  two 
little  scales,  or  stinted  winglets,  can  be  discovered  on  each 
shoulder.  These  females  lay  their  eggs  upon  the  top  of  their 
cocoons,  and  cover  them  with  a  large  quantity  of  frothy  mat- 
ter, which,  on  drying,  becomes  white  and  brittle.  Different 
broods  of  these  insects  appear  at  various  times  in  the  course 
of  the  summer,  but  the  greater  number  come  to  maturity  and 
lay  their  eggs  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  and  the  beginning 


284  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  September;  and  these  eggs  are  not  hatched  till  the  follow- 
ing summer.  The  name  of  this  moth  is  Orgyia*  leucostig-ma, 
the  white-marked  Orgyia  or  tussock-moth.  It  is  to  the  eggs 
of  this  insect  that  the  late  Mr.  B.  H.  Ives,  of  Salem,  alludes, 
in  an  article  on  "insects  which  infest  trees  and  plants,"  pub- 
lished in  Hovey's  "Gardener's  Magazine."!  Mr.  Ives  states, 
that  on  passing  through  an  apple  orchard  in  February,  he 
"perceived  nearly  all  the  trees  speckled  with  occasional  dead 
leaves,  adhering  so  firmly  to  the  branches  as  to  require  consid- 
erable force  to  dislodge  them.  Each  leaf  covered  a  small 
patch  of  from  one  to  two  hundred  eggs,  united  together,  as 
well  as  to  the  leaf,  by  a  gummy  and  silken  fibre,  peculiar  to 
the  moth."  In  March,  he  "  visited  the  same  orchard,  and,  as 
an  experiment,  cleared  three  trees,  from  which  he  took  twenty- 
one  bunches  of  eggs.  The  remainder  of  the  trees  he  left 
untouched  until  the  tenth  of  May,  when  he  found  the  cater- 
pillars were  hatched  from  the  egg,  and  had  commenced  their 
slow  but  sure  ravages.  He  watched  them  from  time  to  tirhe, 
until  many  branches  had  been  spoiled  of  their  leaves,  and  in 
the  autumn  were  entirely  destitute  of  fruit;  while  the  three 
trees,  which  had  been  stripped  of  the  eggs,  were  flush  with 
foliage,  each  limb  without  exception,  ripening  its  fruit."  These 
pertinent  remarks  point  out  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  evil, 
and  suggest  the  proper  remedy  to  be  used  against  the  ravages 
of  these  insects. 

In  the  New  England  States  there  is  found  a  tussock  or 
vaporer  moth,  seemingly  the  same  as  the  Orgyia  antiqua,  the 
antique  or  rusty  vaporer-moth  of  Europe,  from  whence  possi- 
bly its  eggs  may  have  been  brought  with  imported  fruit-trees. 
The  male  moth  is  of  a  rust-brown  color,  the  fore  wings  are 
crossed  by  two  deeper  brown  wavy  streaks,  and  have  a  white 

*  This  name  is  derived  from  a  word  which  signifies  to  stretch  out  the  hands, 
and  it  is  applied  to  this  kind  of  moth  on  account  of  its  resting  with  the  fore  legs 
extended.  The  Germans  call  these  moths  strcckfilssige  Spinner,  the  French 
pattes  itendues,  and  the  English  vaporcr-moths,  the  latter  probably  because  the 
males  arc  seen  flying  about  ostentatiously,  or  vaporing,  by  day,  when  most  other 
moths  keep  concealed. 

t  Vol.  I.,  p.  62. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  285 

crescent  near  the  hind  angle.  They  expand  about  one  inch 
and  one  eighth.  The  female  is  gray,  and  wingless,  or  with 
only  two  minute  scales  on  each  side  in  the  place  of  wings, 
and  exactly  resembles  in  shape  the  female  of  the  foregoing 
species.  The  caterpillar  is  yellow  on  the  back,  on  which  are 
four  short  square  brush-like  yellow  tufts;  the  sides  are  dusky 
and  spotted  with  red;  there  are  two  long  black  pencils  or 
plumes  on  the  first  ring,  one  on  each  side  of  the  fifth  ring,  and 
one  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh  ring;  the  head  is  black;  and 
the  retractile  warts  on  the  top  of  the  ninth  and  tenth  rings  are 
red.  These  caterpillars  live  on  various  trees  and  shrubs,  and 
are  stated,  by  Miss  Dix,  in  Professor  Silliman's  "Journal  of 
Science,"  *  to  have  been  "  very  destructive  to  the  thorn  hedges 
in  Rhode  Island,"  "appearing  very  early  in  summer,  and  not 
disappearing  till  late  in  November."  The  cocoons  resemble 
those  of  the  white-marked  vaporer  ( Org-yia  leucostig-ma), 
and  the  females,  after  they  have  come  forth,  never  leave  the 
outside  of  their  cocoons,  but  lay  their  eggs  upon  them  and 
die  there. 

The  next  group  may  be  called  Lasiocampians  (Lasiocam- 
PAD.F,),  after  the  principal  genus f  included  in  it,  the  name  of 
which  signifies  hairy  caterpillar.  The  Lasiocampians  are 
wooDy,  and  very  thick-bodied  moths,  distinguished  by  the 
want  of  the  bristles  and  hooks  that  hold  together  the  fore  and 
hind  wings  of  other  moths,  by  the  wide  and  turned-up  fore 
edge  of  the  hind  wings,  which  projects  beyond  that  of  the  fore 
wings  when  at  rest,  and  by  their  caterpillars,  which  (with  few 
exceptions)  are  not  warty  on  the  back,  and  are  sparingly 
clothed  with  short,  soft  hairs,  mostly  placed  along  the  sides  of 
the  body,  and  seldom  distinctly  arranged  in  spreading  clusters 
or  tufts.  These  moths  fly  only  by  night,  and  both  sexes  are 
winged.  Their  antennae  generally  bend  downwards  near  the 
middle,  and  upwards  at  the  points,  are  longer  than  those  of 


*  Vol.  XIX.,  p.  62. 

t  To  Lasiocampa  belong  the  European  moths  called  Btibi,  Trifolii,  Quercus, 
Roboris,  Dumeti,  &c.  I  have  not  seen  any  insects  like  these  in  Massachusetts, 
and  believe  that  such  arc  seldom  if  ever  to  be  found  in  the  United  States. 


29#  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  Liparians,  but  not  so  widely  feathered  in  the  males,  and 
very  narrowly  feathered  beneath  in  the  females.  The  feelers 
of  some  are  rather  longer  than  common,  and  are  thrust  forward 
like  a  beak ;  but  more  often  they  are  very  short  and  small. 
The  tongue,  for  the  most  part,  is  invisible.  Their  wings  cover 
the  back  like  a  steep  roof,  the  under  pair,  being  wider  than 
common,  are  not  entirely  covered  by  the  upper  wings,  but  pro- 
ject beyond  them  at  the  sides  of  the  body  when  closed.  Their 
caterpillars  live  on  trees  and  shrubs,  and  some  kinds  herd  to- 
gether in  considerable  numbers  or  swarms  ;  they  make  their  co- 
coons mostly  or  entirely  of  silk.  The  winged  insect  is  assisted 
in  its  attempts  to  come  forth,  after  its  last  change,  by  a  reddish 
colored  liquid,  which  softens  the  end  of  its  cocoon,  and  which, 
as  some  say,  is  discharged  from  its  own  mouth,  or,  as  others 
with  greater  probability  assert,  escapes  from  the  inside  of  the 
chrysalis  the  moment  that  the  included  moth  bursts  the  shell. 

To  this  group  belong  the  caterpillars  that  swarm  in  the  un- 
pruned  nurseries  and  neglected  orchards  of  the  slovenly  and 
improvident  husbandman,  and  hang  their  many-coated  webs 
upon  the  wild  cherry-trees  that  are  suffered  to  spring  up  un- 
checked by  the  wayside  and  encroach  upon  the  borders  of  our 
pastures  and  fields.  The  eggs,  from  which  they  are  hatched, 
are  placed  around  the  ends  of  the  branches,  forming  a  wide 
kind  of  ring  or  bracelet,  consisting  of  three  or  four  hundred 
eggs,  in  the  form  of  short  cylinders  standing  on  their  ends 
close  together,  and  covered  with  a  thick  coat  of  brownish 
water-proof  varnish.*  The  caterpillars  come  forth,  with  the 
unfolding  of  the  leaves  of  the  apple  and  cherry  tree,  during 
the  latter  part  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May.  The  first 
signs  of  their  activity  appear  in  the  formation  of  a  little  angu- 
lar web  or  tent,  somewhat  resembling  a  spider's  web,  stretched 
between  the  forks  of  the  branches  a  little  below  the  cluster  of 
eggs.  Under  the  shelter  of  these  tents,  in  making  which  they 
all  work  together,  the  caterpillars  remain  concealed  at  all  times 
when  not  engaged  in  eating.     In  crawling  from  twig  to  twig 


*  A  good  figure  of  a  cluster  of  these  eggs  may  be  seen  in  the  Boston  Cultiva- 
tor, Vol.  X.,  No.  10,  for  March  4,  1848. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  287 

and  from  leaf  to  leaf,  they  spin  from  their  mouths  a  slender 
silken  thread,  which  is  a  clue  to  conduct  them  back  to  their 
tents ;  and  as  they  go  forth  and  return  in  files,  one  after  an- 
other, their  pathways  in  time  become  well  carpeted  with  silk, 
which  serves  to  render  their  footing  secure  during  their  fre- 
quent and  periodical  journeys,  in  various  directions,  to  and 
from  their  common  habitation.  As  they  increase  in  age  and 
size,  they  enlarge  their  tent,  surrounding  it,  from  time  to  time, 
with  new  layers  or  webs,  till,  at  length,  it  acquires  a  diameter 
of  eight  or  ten  inches.  They  come  out  together  at  certain 
stated  hours  to  eat,  and  all  retire  at  once  when  their  regular 
meals  are  finished  ;  during  bad  weather,  however,  they  fast, 
and  do  not  venture  from  their  shelter.  These  caterpillars  are 
of  a  kind  called  lackeys  in  England,  and  livrees  in  France, 
from  the  party-colored  livery  in  which  they  appear.  When 
fully  grown  they  measure  about  two  inches  in  length.  Their 
heads  are  black ;  extending  along  the  top  of  the  back,  from 
one  end  to  the  other,  is  a  whitish  line,  on  each  side  of  which, 
on  a  yellow  ground,  are  numerous  short  and  fine  crinkled  black 
lines,  that,  lower  down,  become  mingled  together,  and  form  a 
broad  longitudinal  black  stripe,  or  rather  a  row  of  long  black 
spots,  one  on  each  ring,  in  the  middle  of  each  of  which  is  a 
small  blue  spot ;  below  this  is  a  narrow  wavy  yellow  line,  and 
lower  still  the  sides  are  variegated  with  fine  intermingled  black 
and  yellow  lines,  which  are  lost  at  last  in  the  general  dusky 
color  of  the  under  side  of  the  body  ;  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh 
ring  is  a  small  blackish  and  hairy  wart,  and  the  whole  body  is 
very  sparingly  clothed  "with  short  and  soft  hairs,  rather  thicker 
and  longer  upon  the  sides  than  elsewhere.  The  foregoing 
description  will  serve  to  show  that  these  insects  are  not  the 
same  as  either  the  Neustria*  or  the  campf  lackey  caterpillars 

•  Neustria,  was  the  ancient  name  of  Normandy,  from  whence  this  European 
species  was  first  introduced  into  England.  The  Neustria  caterpillar  has  a  bluish 
head,  on  which,  as  also  on  the  first  ring,  are  two  black  dots ;  the  back  is  tawny 
red,  with  a  central  white,  and  two  black  lines  from  one  end  to  the  other ;  the 
sides  are  blue,  with  a  narrow  red  stripe ;  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh  ring  is  a 
little  blackish  wart;  and  the  belly  is  dusky. 

fThe  castrensis,  or  camp-caterpillar,  has  a  narrow  broken  white  line  on  the 
top  of  the  back,  separating  two  broad  red  stripes,  which  are  dotted  with  black ; 


288  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  Europe,  for  which  they  have  been  mistaken.  From  the  first 
to  the  middle  of  June  they  begin  to  leave  the  trees  upon  which 
they  have  hitherto  lived  in  company,  separate  from  each  other, 
wander  about  awhile,  and  finally  get  into  some  crevice  or 
other  place  of  shelter,  and  make  their  cocoons.  These  are  of 
a  regular  long  oval  form,  composed  of  a  thin  and  very  loosely 
woven  web  of  silk,  the  meshes  of  which  are  filled  with  a  thin 
paste,  that  on  drying  is  changed  to  a  yellow  powder,  like  flour 
of  sulphur  in  appearance.  Some  of  the  caterpillars,  either 
from  weakness  or  some  other  cause,  do  not  leave  their  nests 
with  the  rest  of  the  swarm,  but  make  their  cocoons  there,  and 
w^hen  the  webs  are  opened  these  cocoons  may  be  seen  inter- 
mixed with  a  mass  of  blackish  grains,  like  gunpowder,  excreted 
by  the  caterpillars  during  their  stay.  From  fourteen  to  seven- 
teen days  after  the  insect  has  made  its  cocoon  and  changed  to 
a  chrysalis,  it  bursts  its  chrysalis-skin,  forces  its  way  through 
the  wet  and  softened  end  of  its  cocoon,  and  appears  in  the 
winged  or  miller  form.  Many  of  them,  however,  are  unable  to 
finish  their  transformations  by  reason  of  weakness,  especially 
those  remaining  in  the  webs.  Most  of  these  will  be  found 
to  have  been  preyed  upon  by  little  maggots  living  upon  the  fat 
within  their  bodies,  and  finally  changing  to  small  four-winged 
ichneumon  wasps,  which  in  due  time  pierce  a  hole  in  the 
cocoons  of  their  victims,  and  escape  into  the  air. 

The  moth  of  our  American  lackey-caterpillar  is  of  a  rusty  or 
reddish  brown  color,  more  or  less  mingled  with  gray  on  the 
middle  and  base  of  the  fore  wings,  which,  besides,  are  crossed 
by  two  oblique,  straight,  dirty  white  lines.  It  expands  from 
one  inch  and  a  quarter  to  one  inch  and  a  half,  or  a  little  more. 
This  moth*  closely  resembles  the  castrensis,  and  still  more  the 


the  sides  arc  blue,  -with  two  or  three  narrow  red  stripes  ;  the  head  and  first  ring 
are  not  rrarked  with  black  dots;  there  is  no  wart  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh 
ring ;  and  the  belly  is  white,  marbled  with  black. 

*  A  short  but  very  accurate  account  of  this  insect  maj*  be  found  in  the  late 
Professor  Peck's  "Natural  History  of  the  Canker  Worm,"  printed  at  Boston, 
among  the  papers  of  the  "  Massachusetts  Society  for  promoting  Agriculture," 
in  the  year  1796.  Professor  Peck  seems  to  have  been  aware  that  it  was  not 
identical  with  the  Neustria,  but  he  forcbore  to  give  it   another  scientific  name. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  289 

Neustria  of  Europe,  from  both  of  which,  however,  it  is  easily- 
distinguished  by  the  oblique  lines  on  the  fore  wings,  which  are 
not  wavy  as  in  the  foreign  species.  Moreover,  the  caterpillar 
is  very  diflerent  from  both  of  the  European  lackeys ;  and  it 
does  not  seem  probable  that  either  of  them,  if  introduced  into 
this  country,  could  have  so  wholly  lost  their  original  characters. 
Our  insect  belongs  to  the  same  genus,  or  kind,  now  called 
Clisiocampa,  or  tent-caterpillar,  from  its  habits ;  and  I  propose 
to  distinguish  it  furthermore  from  its  near  allies  by  the  name 
of  Americana,  the  American  tent-caterpillar  or  lackey.  The 
moths  appear  in  great  numbers  in  July,  flying  about  and  often 
entering  houses  by  night.  At  this  time  they  lay  their  eggs, 
selecting  the  wild  cherry,  in  preference  to  all  other  trees,  for 
this  purpose,  and,  next  to  these,  apple-trees,  the  extensive  in- 
troduction and  great  increase  of  which,  in  this  country,  afford 
an  abundant  and  tempting  supply  of  food  to  the  caterpillars, 
in  the  place  of  the  native  cherry-trees  that  formerly,  it  would 
seem,  sutficed  for  their  nourishment.  These  insects,  because 
they  are  the  most  common  and  most  abundant  in  all  parts  of 
our  country,  and  have  obtained  such  notoriety  that  in  common 
language  they  are  almost  exclusively  known  among  us  by  the 
name  of  the  caterpillars,  are  the  worst  enemies  of  the  orchard. 
Where  proper  attention  has  not  been  paid  to  the  destruction 
of  them,  they  prevail  to  such  an  extent  as  almost  entirely  to 
strip  the  apple  and  cherry  trees  of  their  foliage,  by  their  attacks 
continued  during  the  seven  weeks  of  their  life  in  the  caterpillar 
form.  The  trees,  in  those  orchards  and  gardens  where  they 
have  been  suffered  to  breed  for  a  succession  of  years,  become 
prematurely  old,  in  consequence  of  the  efforts  they  are  obliged 
to  make  to  repair,  at  an  unseasonable  time,  the  loss  of  their 
foliage,  and  are  rendered  unfruitful,  and  consequently  unprofit- 
able. But  this  is  not  all ;  these  pernicious  insects  spread  in 
every  direction,  from  the  trees  of  the  careless  and  indolent,  to 
those  of  their  more  careful  and  industrious  neighbors,  whose 

It  is  figured,  in  its  different  forms,  in  Mr.  Abbot's  "  Natural  History  of  the  In- 
sects of  Georgia,"  where  it  is  named  castrensis,  by  Sir  J.  E.  Smith,  the  editor  of 
the  work. 

37 


290  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

labors  are  thereby  greatly  increased,  and  have  to  be  followed 
up  year  after  year,  without  any  prospect  of  permanent  relief. 

Many  methods  and  receipts  for  the  destruction  of  these  in- 
sects have  been  published  and  recommended,  but  have  failed 
to  exterminate  them,  and  indeed  have  done  but  little  to  lessen 
their  numbers,  as,  indeed,  might  be  expected  from  the  tenor  of 
the  foregoing  remarks.  In  order  to  be  completely  successful 
they  must  be  iiniversalJy  adopted.  These  means  comprehend 
both  the  destruction  of  the  eggs  and  of  the  caterpillars.  The 
eggs  are  to  be  sought  for  in  the  winter  and  the  early  part  of 
spring,  when  there  are  no  leaves  on  the  trees.  They  are  easily 
discovered  at  this  time,  and  may  be  removed  with  the  thumb 
nail  and  fore  finger.  Nurseries  and  the  lower  limbs  of  large 
trees  may  thus  be  entirely  cleared  of  the  clusters  of  eggs  during 
a  few  visits  made  at  the  proper  season.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
caterpillars  come  out  to  feed  twice  during  the  daytime,  namely, 
in  the  forenoon  and  afternoon,  and  that  they  rarely  leave  their 
nests  before  nine  in  the  morning,  and  return  to  them  again  at 
noon.  During  the  early  part  of  the  season,  while  the  nests  are 
small,  and  the  caterpillars  young  and  tender,  and  at  those  hours 
when  the  insects  are  gathered  together  within  their  common 
habitation,  they  may  be  effectually  destroyed  by  crushing  them 
by  hand  in  the  nests.  A  brush,  somewhat  like  a  bottle-brush, 
fixed  to  a  long  handle,  as  recommended  by  the  late  Colonel 
Pickering,  or,  for  the  want  thereof,  a  dried  mullein  head  and 
its  stalk  fastened  to  a  pole,  will  be  useful  to  remove  the  nests, 
with  the  caterpillars  contained  therein,  from  those  branches 
which  are  too  high  to  be  reached  by  hand.  Instead  of  the 
brush,  we  may  use,  with  nearly  equal  success,  a  small  mop  or 
sponge,  dipped  as  often  as  necessary  into  a  pailful  of  refuse 
soapsuds,  strong  whitewash,  or  cheap  oil.  The  mop  should 
be  thrust  into  the  nest  and  turned  round  a  little,  so  as  to  wet 
the  caterpillars  with  the  liquid,  which  will  kill  every  one  that 
it  touches.  These  means,  to  be  effectual,  should  be  employed 
during  the  proper  hours,  that  is,  early  in  the  morning,  at  mid- 
day, or  at  night,  and  as  soon  in  the  spring  as  the  caterpillars 
begin  to  make  their  nests ;  and  they  should  be  repeated  as 
often,  at  least,  as  once  a  week,  till  the  insects  leave  the  trees. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  291 

Early  attention  and  perseverance  in  the  use  of  these  remedies 
will,  in  time,  save  the  farmer  hundreds  of  dollars,  and  abun- 
dance of  mortification  and  disappointment,  besides  rewarding 
him  with  the  grateful  sight  of  the  verdant  foliage,  snowy  blos- 
soms, and  rich  fruits  of  his  orchard  in  their  proper  seasons. 

Another  caterpillar,  whose  habits  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
preceding,  is  now  and  then  met  with,  in  Massachusetts,  upon 
oak  and  walnut  ti-ees,  and  more  rarely  still  upon  apple-trees, 
and  cherry-trees.  According  to  Mr.  Abbot  "  it  is  sometimes 
so  plentiful  in  Virginia  as  to  strip  the  oak-trees  bare ;"  and  I 
may  add  that  it  occasionally  proves  very  injurious  to  orchards 
in  Maine.  It  may  be  called  Clisiocanipa  silvatica,  the  tent- 
caterpillar  of  the  forest.  With  us  it  comes  to  its  full  size  from 
the  tenth  to  the  twentieth  of  June,  and  then  measm'es  about 
two  inches  in  length.  There  are  a  few  short  yellow  hairs  scat- 
tered over  its  body,  particularly  on  the  sides,  where  they  are 
thickest.  The  general  color  of  the  whole  body  is  light  blue,  clear 
on  the  back,  and  greenish  at  the  sides ;  the  head  is  blue,  and 
without  spots ;  there  are  two  yellow  spots,  and  four  black  dots 
on  the  top  of  the  first  ring ;  along  the  top  of  the  back  is  a  row 
of  eleven  oval  white  spots,  beginning  on  the  second  ring,  and 
two  small  elevated  black  and  hairy  dots  on  each  ring,  except 
the  eleventh,  which  has  only  one  of  larger  size ;  on  each  side 
of  the  back  is  a  reddish  stripe  bordered  by  slender  black  lines ; 
and  lower  down  on  each  side  is  another  stripe  of  a  yellow 
color  between  two  black  lines ;  the  under  side  of  the  body  is 
blue-black.  This  kind  of  caterpillar  lives  in  communities  of 
three  or  four  hundred  individuals  under  a  common  web  or 
tent,  which  is  made  against  the  trunk  or  beneath  some  of  the 
principal  branches  of  the  trees.  When  fully  grown  they  leave 
the  trees,  get  into  places  sheltered  from  rain,  and  make  their 
cocoons,  which  exactly  resemble  those  of  the  apple-tree  tent- 
caterpillars  in  form,  size,  and  materials.  The  moths  appear  in 
sixteen  or  twenty  days  afterwards.  They  are  of  a  brownish 
yellow  or  nankin  color;  the  hind  wings,  except  at  base,  are 
light  rusty  brown  ;  and  on  the  fore  wings  are  two  oblique  rust- 
brown  and  nearly  straight  parallel  lines.  A  variety  is  some- 
times found   with  a  broad  red-brown  band   across  the  fore 


292  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

wings,  occupying  tiie  whole  space,  which,  in  other  individuals, 
intervenes  between  the  oblique  lines.  The  wings  expand  from 
one  inch  and  one  quarter  to  one  inch  and  three  quarters.  The 
great  difference  in  the  caterpillar  will  not  permit  us  to  refer  this 
species  to  the  Neustria  of  Europe,  for  which  Sir  J.  E.  Smith* 
mistook  it,  or  to  the  castrensis,  which  it  more  closely  resembles 
in  its  winged  form. 

Most  caterpillars  are  round,  that  is,  cylindrical,  or  nearly  so  ; 
but  there  are  some  belonging  to  this  group  that  are  very  broad, 
slightly  convex  above,  and  perfectly  flat  beneath.  They  seem 
indeed  to  be  much  broader  and  more  flattened  than  they  really 
are,  by  reason  of  the  hairs  on  their  sides,  which  spread  out  so 
as  nearly  to  conceal  the  feet,  and  form  a  kind  of  fringe  along 
each  side  of  the  body.  These  hairs  grow  mostly  from  hori- 
zontal fleshy  appendages  or  long  warts,  somewhat  like  legs, 
hanging  from  the  sides  of  every  ring;  those  on  the  first  ring 
being  much  longer  than  the  others,  which  progressively  de- 
crease in  size  to  the  last.  On  the  fore  part  of  the  body  one  or 
two  velvet-like  and  highly  colored  bands  may  be  seen  when 
the  caterpillar  is  in  motion ;  and  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh 
ring  there  is  generally  a  long  naked  wart.  When  these  singu- 
lar caterpillars  are  not  eating,  they  remain  at  rest,  stretched  out 
on  the  limbs  of  trees,  and  they  often  so  nearly  resemble  the 
bark  in  color  as  to  escape  observation.  From  the  lappets,  or 
leg-like  appendages,  hanging  to  their  sides,  they  are  called 
lappet-caterpillars  by  English  writers. 

Twice  I  have  found,  on  the  apple-tree,  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember, caterpillars  of  this  kind,  measuring,  when  fully  grown, 
two  inches  and  a  half  in  length,  and  above  half  an  inch  in 
breadth.  The  upper  side  was  gray,  variegated  with  irregular 
white  spots,  and  sprinkled  all  over  with  fine  black  dots ;  on 
the  forepart  of  the  body  there  were  two  transverse  velvet-like 
bands  of  a  rich  scarlet  color,  one  on  the  hind  part  of  the  second, 
and  the  other  on  the  third  ring,  and  on  each  of  these  bands 
were  three  black  dots ;  the  under  side  of  the  body  was  orange- 
colored,  with  a  row  of  diamond-shaped  black  spots ;  the  hairs 

*  See  Abbot's  "  Insects  of  Georgia,"  where  it  is  figured. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  293 

on  the  sides  wore  gray,  and  many  of  them  were  tipped  with  a 
white  knob.  The  caterpillar  eats  the  leaves  of  the  apple-tree, 
feeding  only  in  the  night,  and  remaining  perfectly  quiet  during 
the  day.  The  moth  produced  from  it  was  supposed  by  Sir  J. 
E.  Smith*  to  be  the  same  as  the  European  llicifolia,  or  holly- 
leaved  lappet-moth,  from  which,  however,  it  differs  in  so  many 
respects  that  I  shall  venture  to  give  it  another  name.  It 
belongs  to  the  genus  Gastropaclia,  so  called  from  the  very 
thick  bodies  of  the  moths ;  and  the  present  species  may  be 
named  Americana,  the  American  lappet-moth.  "Were  it  not 
for  its  regular  shape,  it  might,  when  at  rest,  very  easily  be 
mistaken  for  a  dry,  brown,  and  crumpled  leaf.  The  feelers 
are  somewhat  prominent  like  a  short  beak ;  the  edges  of  the 
under  wings  are  very  much  notched,  as  are  the  hinder  and 
inner  edges  of  the  fore  wings,  and  these  notches  are  white  ;  its 
general  color  is  a  red-brown  ;  behind  the  middle  of  each  of  the 
wings  is  a  pale  band,  edged  with  zigzag  dark  brown  lines,  and 
there  are  also  two  or  three  short  irregular  brown  lines  running 
backwards  from  the  front  edge  of  the  fore  wings,  besides  a 
minute  pale  crescent,  edged  with  dark  brown,  near  the  middle 
of  the  same.  In  the  females  the  pale  bands  and  dark  lines  are 
vsometimes  wanting,  the  wings  being  almost  entirely  of  a  red- 
brown  color.  It  expands  from  one  inch  and  a  half  to  nearly 
two  inches.  Mr.  Abbot,  who  has  figiu-ed  it,  states  that  the 
caterpillar  lives  on  the  oak  and  the  ash,  that  it  spun  itself  up 
in  May  among  the  leaves  in  a  gi-ay-brown  cocoon,  in  which 
the  chrysalis  was  enveloped  with  a  pale  brown  powder,  and 
that  the  moth  came  out  in  February.  My  specimens,  on  the 
contrary,  as  above  stated,  were  found  on  apple-trees,  made 
their  cocoons  in  the  autumn,  and  appeared  in  the  winged  form 
in  the  early  part  of  the  following  summer. 

The  foregoing  is  the  only  American  lappet-moth,  with 
notched  wings,  which  is  known  to  me;  but  we  have  another 
much  larger  one,  with  entire  wings.  It  is  the  Velleda  of  Stoll, 
so  named  after  a  celebrated  German  female,  commemorated 
by  the  ancient  historian  Tacitus.     This  moth  has  a  very  large, 

*  See  Abbot's  "  Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  101,  pi.  51. 


294  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

thick,  and  woolly  body,  and  is  of  a  white  color,  variegated  or 
clouded  with  blue-gray.  On  the  fore  wings  are  two  broad 
dark  gray  bands,  intervening  between  three  narrow  wavy 
white  bands,  the  latter  being  marked  by  an  irregular  gray  line ; 
the  veins  are  white,  prominent,  and  very  distinct;  the  hind 
wings  are  gray,  with  a  white  hind  border,  on  which  are  two 
interrupted  gray  lines,  and  across  the  middle  there  is  a  broad, 
faint,  whitish  band ;  on  the  top  of  the  thorax  is  an  oblong 
blackish  spot,  widening  behind,  and  consisting  of  long  black 
and  pearl-colored  erect  scales,  shaped  somewhat  like  the 
handle  of  a  spoon.  There  is  a  great  disparity  in  the  size  of 
the  sexes,  the  males  measuring  only  from  one  inch  and  a  half 
to  one  inch  and  three  quarters  across  the  wings,  while  the 
females  expand  from  two  and  a  quarter  to  two  inches  and 
three  quarters  or  more.  The  caterpillar  of  this  fine  moth  I 
have  never  seen  alive ;  but  one  was  sent  to  me,  in  the  autumn 
of  1828,  by  the  late  T.  G.  Fessenden,  Esq.,  who  received  it 
from  Newburyport,  from  a  correspondent,  by  whom  it  was 
found  on  the  fifth  of  August,  sticking  so  fast  to  the  limb  of  an 
apple-tree,  that  at  first  it  was  mistaken  for  a  cankered  spot  on 
the  bark.*  It  was  said  to  have  measured  tvvo  inches  and  a 
half  in  length,  but  when  it  came  into  my  hands  it  had  spun 
itself  up  in  its  cocoon.  A  caterpillar  of  the  same  kind,  found 
also  on  an  apple-tree,  has  been  described  by  Miss  Dix  in  Pro- 
fessor Silliman's  "Journal  of  Science."!  This  observing  lady 
states,  that  "  when  at  rest  the  resemblance  of  its  upper  surface 
was  so  exact  with  the  young  bark  of  the  branch  on  which  it 
was  fixed,  that  its  presence  might  have  escaped  the  most 
accurate  investigation ;  and  this  deception  was  the  more  com- 
plete from  the  uiuisual  shape  of  the  caterpillar,  which  might 
be  likened  to  the  external  third  of  a  cylinder.  The  sides  of 
the  body  were  cloaked  and  fringed  with  hairs.  It  was  of  a 
pale  sea-green  color  above,  marked  with  ash,  blended  into 
white ;  and  beneath  of  a  brilliant  orange,  spotted  with  vivid 
black.     When  in  motion  its  whole  appearance  was  changed, 


*  See  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  VII.,  p.  33. 
t  Vol.  XIX.,  pp.  62  and  63. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  295 

it  extended  to  the  length  of  two  inches,  and  two  thirds  of  an 
inch  in  breadth,  its  colors  brightened,  and  a  transverse  opening 
was  disclosed  on  the  back,  two  thirds  of  an  inch  from  the 
head,  of  a  most  rich  velvet  black  color.  It  was  sluggish  and 
motionless  during  the  day,  and  active  only  at  night."  Mr. 
Abbot  found  the  caterpillar  of  the  Velleda  lappet-moth  on  the 
willow-oak,  and  on  the  persimmon  ;  and,  in  his  figure,  it  is 
represented  of  a  dark  ashen  gray  color,  with  a  velvet-like  black 
band  across  the  upper  part  of  the  third  ring.*  The  cocoon  of 
the  specimen  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Fessenden,  resembled  grocers' 
soft  brownish  gray  paper  in  color  and  texture,  with  a  very  few 
blackish  hairs  interwoven  with  the  silk  of  which  it  was  made. 
It  was  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  and  half  an  inch  wide,  bordered 
on  all  sides  by  a  loose  web,  which  made  it  seem  of  larger 
dimensions ;  its  shape  was  oval,  convex  above,  and  perfectly 
flat  and  very  thin  on  the  under  side.  The  moth  came  forth 
from  this  cocoon  on  the  fifteenth  of  September,  or  about  forty 
days  after  the  cocoon  was  spun. 

The  Chinese  silk-worm  and  its  moth,  Bombyx  viori,  the 
Bombyx  of  the  mulberry,  should  follow  these  insects  in  a 
natural  arrangement ;  for  the  former  is  slightly  hairy  when  first 
hatched  from  the  egg,  and,  though  naked  afterwards,  it  has, 
like  the  lappet-caterpillars,  a  long  fleshy  wart  on  the  top  of  the 
eleventh  ring.  The  history  of  the  silk-worm,  however,  does 
not  belong  to  the  subject  of  this  treatise. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  caterpillars  in  the  United  States, 
whose  cocoons  are  wholly  made  of  a  very  strong  and  durable 
silk,  fully  equal  to  that  obtained  in  India  from  the  tusseh  and 
arrindy  silk  worms.  These  insects,  together  with  some  others, 
whose  cocoons  are  much  thinner,  and  consist  more  of  gummy 
matter  than  of  silk,  belong  to  a  family  called  Saturnians 
(Saturniad.e),  from  Saturnia,  the  name  of  a  genus  included 
in  this  group.  The  caterpillars  are  naked,  are  generally  short, 
thick,  and  clumsy,  cylindrical,  but  frequently  hunched  on  the 
back  of  each  ring,  especially  when  at  rest,  and  are  furnished 
with  a  few  warts,  which  are  either  bristled  with  little  points  or 

*  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  103,  pi.  52. 


296  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

very  short  hairs,  or  are  crowned  with  sharp  and  branching 
prickles.  They  live  on  trees  or  shrubby  plants,  the  leaves  of 
which  they  devour;  some  of  them,  when  young,  keep  and 
feed  together  in  swarms,  but  separate  as  they  become  older. 
When  fully  grown  and  ready  to  make  their  cocoons,  some  of 
them  draw  together  a  few  leaves  so  as  to  form  a  hollow,  within 
which  they  spin  their  cocoons ;  others  fasten  their  cocoons  to 
the  stems  or  branches  of  plants  often  in  the  most  artful  and 
ingenious  manner;  and  a  very  few  transform  upon  or  just 
under  the  surface  of  the  ground,  where  they  cover  themselves 
with  leaves  or  grains  of  earth  stuck  together  with  a  little 
gummy  matter.  The  escape  of  the  moth  from  its  cocoon  is 
rendered  easy  by  the  fluid  which  is  thrown  out  and  softens 
the  threads.  The  chrysalis  offers  no  striking  peculiarities, 
being  smooth,  not  hairy,  and  not  provided  with  transverse 
notched  ridges.  This  group  contains  some  of  the  largest 
insects  of  the  order;  moths  distinguished  by  great  extent  and 
breadth  of  wings,  thick  and  woolly  bodies,  and  antenna?  which 
are  widely  feathered  on  both  sides,  from  one  end  to  the  other, 
in  the  males  at  least,  and  often  in  both  sexes.  The  tongue 
and  feelers  are  extremely  short  and  rarely  visible.  The  wings 
are  generally  spread  out,  when  at  rest,  so  as  to  display  both 
pairs,  and  they  are  held  either  horizontally,  or  more  or  less 
elevated  above  the  body ;  a  very  few,  however,  turn  the  fore 
wings  back,  so  as  to  cover  the  hind  wings  and  the  body  in 
repose.  There  are  no  bristles  and  hooks  to  keep  the  fore  and 
hind  wings  together.  In  the  middle  of  each  wing  there  is 
generally  a  conspicuous  spot  of  a  different  color  from  the  rest 
of  the  surface,  often  like  the  eye-spot  on  peacocks'  feathers, 
sometimes  with  a  transparent  space  like  talc  or  isinglass  in 
the  middle,  and  sometimes  kidney-shaped  and  opake.  These 
moths  commonly  fly  towards  the  close  of  the  day,  and  in  the 
evening  twilight.  Their  eggs  are  very  numerous,  amounting 
to  several  hundreds  from  a  single  individual. 

Although  the  injuries  committed  by  the  caterpillars  of  the 
Saturnians,  are  by  no  means,  very  great,  the  magnitude  and 
beauty  of  the  moths  render  them  very  conspicuous  and  worthy 
of  notice.     The  largest  kinds  belong  to  that  division  of  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  297 

Bombyces  called  Attacus  by  LiniifEus.  They  are  distinguished 
from  the  rest  of  the  Saturnians  by  having  wide  and  flat  anten- 
nas, like  short  oval  feathers,  in  both  sexes,  and  by  the  fleshy 
warts  on  the  backs  of  their  caterpillars,  which  are  richly  colored, 
and  tipped  with  minute  bristles.  Preeminent  above  all  our 
moths,  in  queenly  beauty,  is  the  Attacns  Lvna,  or  Luna-moth, 
its  specific  name  being  the  same  as  that  given  by  the  Romans 
to  the  moon,  poetically  styled  "  fair  empress  of  the  night." 
The  wings  of  this  fine  insect  are  of  a  delicate  light  green  color, 
and  the  hinder  angle  of  the  posterior  wings  is  prolonged,  so  as 
to  form  a  tail  to  each,  of  an  inch  and  a  half  or  more  in  length; 
there  is  a  broad  purple-brown  stripe  along  the  front  edge  of  the 
fore  wings,  extending  also  across  the  thorax,  and  sending  back- 
wards a  little  branch  to  an  eye-like  spot  near  the  middle  of  the 
wing;  these  eye-spots,  of  which  there  is  one  on  each  of  the 
wings,  are  transparent  in  the  centre,  and  are  encircled  by  rings 
of  white,  red,  yellow,  and  black ;  the  hinder  borders  of  the 
wings  are  more  or  less  edged  or  scalloped  with  purple-brown ; 
the  body  is  covered  with  a  white  kind  of  wool ;  the  antennae 
are  ochre-yellow ;  and  the  legs  are  purple-brown.  The  wings 
expand  from  four  inches  and  three  quarters  to  five  inches  and 
a  half.  The  caterpillar  of  this  moth  lives  on  the  walnut  and 
hickory,  on  which  it  may  be  found,  fully  grown,  towards  the 
end  of  July  and  during  the  month  of  August.  It  is  of  a  pale 
and  very  clear  bluish  green  color;  there  is  a  yellow  stripe  on 
each  side  of  the  body,  and  the  back  is  crossed,  between  the 
rings,  by  transverse  lines  of  the  same  yellow  color ;  on  each  of 
the  rings  are  about  six  minvite  pearl-colored  warts,  tinged  with 
purple  or  rose-red,  and  furnishing  a  few  little  hairs;  and  at  the 
extremity  of  the  body  are  three  brown  spots,  edged  above  with 
yellow.  When  this  insect  is  at  rest  it  is  nearly  as  thick  as  a 
man's  thumb,  its  rings  are  hunched,  and  its  body  is  shortened, 
not  measuring,  even  when  fully  grown,  above  two  inches  in 
length  ;  but,  in  motion,  it  extends  to  the  length  of  three  inches 
or  more.  When  about  to  make  its  cocoon,  it  draws  together, 
with  silken  threads,  two  or  three  leaves  of  the  tree,  and  within 
the  hollow  thus  formed  spins  an  oval  and  very  close  and  strong 
cocoon,  about  one  inch  and  three  quarters  long,  and  immedi- 
38 


298  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

ately  afterwards  changes  to  a  chrysalis.  The  cocoons  fall 
from  the  trees  in  the  autumn  with  the  leaves  in  which  they 
are  enveloped;  and  the  moths  make  their  escape  from  them 
in  June. 

A  caterpillar,  closely  resembling  that  of  the  Luna-moth,  may 
be  found  on  oaks,  and  sometimes  also  on  elm  and  lime  trees, 
in  August  and  September.  Its  sides  are  not  striped  with  yel- 
low, and  there  are  no  transverse  yellow  bands  on  the  back; 
the  warts  have  a  pearly  lustre,  more  or  less  tinted  with  orange, 
rose-red,  or  purple,  and  between  the  two  lowermost  on  the  side 
of  each  ring  is  an  oblique  white  line ;  the  head  and  the  feet 
are  brown  ;  and  the  tail  is  bordered  by  a  brown  V  shaped  line. 
These  caterpillars,  in  repose,  cling  to  the  twigs  of  the  trees, 
with  their  backs  downwards,  contract  their  bodies  in  length, 
and  hunch  up  the  rings  even  more  than  those  of  the  Luna- 
moth,  which,  when  fully  grown,  they  somewhat  exceed  in  size. 
They  make  their  cocoons  upon  the  trees  in  the  same  manner, 
with  an  outer  covering  of  leaves,  which  fall  off  in  the  autumn, 
bearing  the  enclosed  tough  oval  cocoons  to  the  ground,  where 
they  remain  through  the  winter,  and  the  moths  come  out  in 
the  month  of  June  following.  Notwithstanding  the  great  sim- 
ilarity of  the  caterpillar  and  its  cocoon  to  those  of  the  Luna, 
the  moth  is  entirely  different.  Its  hind  wings  are  not  tailed, 
but  are  cut  oft'  almost  square  at  the  corners.  It  is  of  a  dull 
ochre-yellow  color,  more  or  less  clouded  with  black  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  wings,  on  each  of  which  there  is  a  transparent  (!ye- 
like  spot,  divided  transversely  by  a  slender  line,  and  encircled 
by  yellow  and  black  rings;  before  and  adjoining  to  the  eye- 
spot  of  the  hind  wings  is  a  large  blue  spot  shading  into  black; 
near  the  hinder  margin  of  the  wings  is  a  dusky  band,  edged 
with  reddish  white  behind ;  on  the  front  margin  of  the  fore 
wings  is  a  gray  stripe,  which  also  crosses  the  fore  part  of  the 
thorax;  and  near  the  base  of  the  same  wings  are  two  short 
red  lines,  edged  with  white.  It  expands  from  five  and  a 
quarter  to  six  inches.  This  moth,  on  account  of  its  great 
size,  is  called  Polyphemus^  the  name  of  one  of  the  giants  in 
mythology. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  299 

Atlacus  Cecropia*  is  a  still  larger  insect  expanding  from  five 
inches  and  three  quarters  to  six  inches  and  a  half.  The  hind 
wings  are  rounded ;  and  not  tailed.  The  ground-color  of  the 
wings  is  a  grizzled  dnsky  brown,  with  the  hinder  margins  clay- 
colored;  near  the  middle  of  each  of  the  wings  there  is  an  opakc 
kidney-shaped  dull  red  spot,  having  a  white  centre  and  a  nar- 
row black  edging;  and  beyond  the  spot  a  wavy  dull  red  band, 
bordered  internally  with  white ;  the  fore  wings,  next  to  the 
shoulders,  are  dull  red,  with  a  curved  white  band ;  and  near 
the  tips  of  the  same  is  an  eye-like  black  spot,  within  a  bluish 
white  crescent ;  the  upper  side  of  the  body  and  the  legs  are 
dull  red  ;  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax  and  the  hinder  edges  of 
the  rings  of  the  abdomen  are  white;  and  the  belly  is  checkered 
with  red  and  white.  This  moth  makes  its  appearance  during 
the  month  of  June.  The  caterpillar  is  found  on  apple,  cherry 
and  plum  trees,  and  on  currant  and  barberry  bushes  in  July 
and  August.  When  young,  it  is  of  a  deep  yellow  color,  with 
rows  of  minute  black  warts  on  its  back.  It  comes  to  its  full 
size  by  the  first  of  September,  and  then  measures  three  inches, 
or  more,  in  length,  and  is  thicker  than  a  man's  thumb.  It  is 
then  entirely  of  a  fine,  clear,  light  green  color;  on  the  top  of 
the  second  ring  are  two  large  globular  coral-red  warts,  beset 
with  about  fourteen  very  short  black  bristles ;  the  two  warts 
on  the  top  of  the  third  ring  are  like  those  on  the  second,  but 
rather  larger;  on  the  top  of  the  seven  following  rings  there  are 
two  very  long  egg-shaped  yellow  warts,  bristled  at  the  end, 
and  a  single  wart  of  larger  size  on  the  eleventh  ring ;  on  each 
side  of  the  body  there  are  two  longitudinal  rows  of  long  light 
blue  warts,  bristled  at  the  end,  and  an  additional  short  row, 
below  them,  along  the  first  five  rings.  This  caterpillar  does 
not  bear  confinement  well ;  but  it  may  be  seen  spinning  its 
cocoon,  early  in  September,  on  the  twigs  of  the  trees  or  bushes 
on  which  it  lives.  The  cocoon  is  fastened  longitudinally  to 
the  side  of  a  twig.  It  is,  on  an  average,  three  inches  long,  and 
one  inch  in  diameter  at  the  widest  part.     Its  shape  is  an  ob- 


*  Cecropia  was  the  ancient  name  of  the  city  of  Athens  ;  its  application,  by 
Linnaeus,  to  this  moth  is  inexplicable. 


300  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

long  oval,  pointed  at  the  upper  end.  It  is  double,  the  outer 
coat  being  wrinkled,  and  resembling  strong  brown  paper  in 
color  and  thickness ;  when  this  tough  outer  coat  is  cut  open, 
the  inside  will  be  seen  to  be  lined  with  a  quantity  of  loose 
yellow-brown  strong  silk,  surrounding  an  inner  oval  cocoon, 
composed  of  the  same  kind  of  silk,  and  closely  woven  like  that 
of  the  silk-worm.  The  insect  remains  in  the  chrysalis  form 
through  the  winter.  The  moth,  which  comes  forth  in  the  fol- 
lowing summer,  would  not  be  able  to  pierce  the  inner  cocoon, 
were  it  not  for  the  fluid  provided  for  the  purpose  of  softening 
the  threads ;  but  it  easily  forces  its  way  through  the  outer 
cocoon  at  the  small  end,  which  is  more  loosely  woven  than 
elsewhere,  and  the  threads  of  which  converge  again,  by  their 
own  elasticity,  so  as  almost  entirely  to  close  the  opening  after 
the  insect  has  escaped. 

A  few  brown  and  curled  leaves  may  frequently  be  seen 
hanging  upon  sassafras-trees  during  the  winter,  when  all  the 
other  leaves  have  fallen  off.  If  one  of  these  leaves  is  exam- 
ined, it  will  be  found  to  be  retained  by  a  quantity  of  silken 
thread,  which  is  wound  or  woolded  round  the  twig  to  the  dis- 
tance of  half  an  inch  or  more  on  each  side  of  the  leaf-stalk, 
and  is  thence  carried  downwards  around  the  stalk  to  an  oval 
cocoon,  that  is  wrapped  up  by  the  sides  of  the  leaf.  The 
cocoon  itself  is  about  an  inch  long,  of  a  regular  oval  shape, 
and  is  double,  like  that  of  the  Cecropia  caterpillar,  but  the 
outer  coat  is  not  loose  and  wrinkled,  and  the  space  between 
the  outer  and  inner  coats  is  small  and  does  not  contain  much 
floss  silk.  So  strong  is  the  coating  of  silk  that  surrounds  the 
leaf-stalk,  and  connects  the  cocoon  with  the  branch,  that  it 
cannot  be  severed  without  great  force ;  and  consequently  the 
chrysalis  swings  securely  within  its  leaf-covered  hammock 
through  all  the  storms  of  winter.  Cocoons  of  the  same  kind 
are  sometimes  found  suspended  to  the  twigs  of  the  wild  cherry- 
tree,  the  Azalea,  or  swamp-pink,  and  the  Cephalanthus,  or 
button-bush,  but  not  so  often  as  on  the  sassafras-tree.  Two  of 
them,  hanging  close  together  on  one  twig,  were  once  brought 
to  me,  and  a  male  and  a  female  moth  were  produced  from 
these  twin  cocoons  in  July,  the  usual  time  for  these  insects  to 


LEPIDOPTERA.  301 

leave  their  winter  quarters.  Drury  called  this  kind  of  moth 
Pfomethea,  a  mistake  probably  for  Prometheus*  the  name  of 
one  of  the  Titans,  all  of  whom  were  fabled  to  be  of  gigantic 
size.  The  color  of  Attacus  Promethea  differs  according  to  the 
sex.  The  male  is  of  a  deep  smoky  brown  color  on  the  upper 
side,  and  the  female  light  reddish  brown;  in  both,  the  wings 
are  crossed  by  a  wavy  whitish  line  near  the  middle,  and  have 
a  wide  clay-colored  border,  which  is  marked  by  a  wavy  reddish 
line;  near  the  tips  of  the  fore  wings  there  is  an  eye-like  black 
spot  within  a  bluish  white  crescent;  near  the  middle  of  each 
of  the  wings  of  the  female  there  is  an  angular  reddish  white 
spot,  edged  with  black ;  these  angular  spots  are  visible  on  the 
under  side  of  the  wings  of  the  male,  but  are  rarely  seen  on 
their  upper  side;  the  hind  wings  in  both  are  rounded  and  not 
tailed.  These  moths  expand  from  three  inches  and  three  quar- 
ters to  four  inches  and  a  quarter.  The  female  deposits  her 
eggs  on  the  twigs  of  the  trees,  in  little  clusters  of  five  or  six 
together,  and  these  are  hatched  towards  the  end  of  July  or 
early  in  August.  The  caterpillars  usually  come  to  their  full 
size  by  the  beginning  of  September,  and  then  measure  two 
inches  or  more  in  length,  w^hen  extended,  and  about  half  an 
inch  in  diameter.  The  body  of  the  caterpillar  is  very  plump, 
and  but  very  little  contracted  on  the  back  between  the  rings. 
It  is  of  a  clear  and  pale  bluish  green  color;  the  head,  the  feet, 
and  the  tail  are  yellow;  there  are  about  eight  warts  on  each 
of  the  rings ;  the  two  uppermost  warts  on  the  top  of  the  second 
and  of  the  third  rings  are  almost  cylindrical,  much  longer  than 
the  rest,  and  of  a  rich  coral-red  color;  there  is  a  long  yellow 
wart  on  the  top  of  the  eleventh  ring ;  all  the  rest  of  the  warts 
are  very  small,  and  of  a  deep  blue  color.  Before  making  its 
cocoon  the  caterpillar  instinctively  fastens  to  the  branch  the 
leaf  that  is  to  serve  for  a  cover  to  its  cocoon,  so  that  it  shall 
not  fall  off  in  the  autumn,  and  then  proceeds  to  spin  on  the 
upper  side  of  the  leaf,  bending  over  the  edges  to  form  a  hol- 
low, within  which  its  cocoon  is  concealed. 

*  Atlas  was  the  brother  of  Prometheus,  and  this  name,  it  will  be  recollected, 

has  been  given  to  another  of  the  Bombyces,  an  immensely  large  moth  from  China. 


303  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  Luna,  Polyphemus,  Cecropia,  and  Promethea  moths, 
are  the  only  native  insects  belonging  to  the  genus  Attacus 
which  are  known  to  me.  Their  large  cocoons,  consisting 
entirely  of  silk,  the  fibres  of  which  far  surpass  those  of  the 
silk-worm  in  strength,  might  perhaps  be  employed  in  the  for- 
mation of  fabrics  similar  to  those  manufactured  in  India  from 
the  cocoons  of  the  tusseh  and  arrindy  silk  worms,  the  dura- 
bility of  which  is  such,  that  a  garment  of  tusseh  silk  "  is 
scarcely  worn  out  in  the  lifetime  of  one  person,  but  often 
descends  from  mother  to  daughter;  and  even  the  covers  of 
palanquins  made  of  it,  though  exposed  to  the  influence  of  the 
weather,  last  many  years."  The  method,  employed  by  the 
inhabitants  of  India  for  unwinding  the  cocoons  of  their  native 
silk-worms,  would  probably  apply  equally  well  to  those  of  our 
country,  which  have  not  yet,  that  I  am  aware  of,  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  same  process.  It  is  true  that  experiments,  upon 
a  very  limited  scale,  have  been  made  with  the  silk  of  the 
Cecropia,  which  has  been  carded  and  spun  and  woven  into 
stockings,  that  are  said  to  wash  like  linen.  The  Rev.  Samuel 
PuUein  was  among  the  first  to  attempt  to  unwind  the  cocoons 
of  the  Cecropia  moth,  an  account  of  which  is  contained  in  the 
"Philosophical  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society  of  London," 
for  the  year  1759.*  Mr.  Pullein  ascertained  that  twenty  threads 
of  this  silk  twisted  together  would  sustain  nearly  an  ounce 
more  in  weight  than  the  same  number  of  common  silk.  Mr. 
Moses  Bartram,  of  Philadelphia,  in  the  year  1767,  succeeded 
in  bringing  up  the  caterpillars  from  the  eggs  of  the  Cecropia 
moth,  and  obtained  several  cocoons  from  them.f  In  the  Paris 
"Journal  des  Debats,"  of  the  twenty-third  of  July,  1840,  is  an 
account  of  the  complete  success  of  Mr.  Audouin,  in  rearing 
the  caterpillars  of  this  or  of  some  other  American  species  of 
Attacus,  the  cocoons  of  which  were  sent  to  him  from  New 
Orleans.  The  Cecropia  does  not  bear  confinement  well,  and 
is  not  so  good  a  subject  for  experiment  as  the  Luna  and  Poly- 


*  Vol.  LI.,  p.  54. 

t  See  "Transactions  of  the  American  Fhilosophical  Society  of  Philadelphia," 
Vol.  I.,  p.  294. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  303 

phemus,  which  are  easily  reared,  and  make  their  cocoons  quite 
as  well  in  the  house  as  in  the  open  air.  The  following  circum- 
stances seem  particularly  to  recommend  these  indigenous  silk- 
worms to  the  attention  of  persons  interested  in  the  silk  culture. 
Our  native  oak  and  nut  trees  afford  an  abundance  of  food  for 
the  caterpillars;  their  cocoons  are  much  heavier  than  those  of 
the  silk-worm,  and  will  yield  a  greater  quantity  of  silk;  and, 
as  the  insects  remain  unchanged  in  the  chrysalis  state  from 
September  to  June,  the  cocoons  may  be  kept  for  unwinding  at 
any  leisure  time  during  the  winter.  By  a  careful  search,  after 
the  falling  of  the  leaves  in  the  autumn,  a  sufficient  number  of 
cocoons  may  be  found,  under  the  oak  and  nut  trees,  with 
which  to  begin  a  course  of  experiments  in  breeding  the  insects, 
and  in  the  manufacture  of  their  silk. 

Two  more  moths,  belonging  to  the  family  under  considera- 
tion, are  found  in  Massachusetts.  They  may  be  referred  to 
the  genus  Saturnia*  and  are  distinguished  from  the  foregoing 
by  their  antennee,  which  are  widely  feathered  only  in  the  males, 
the  feathering  being  very  narrow  in  the  other  sex;  their  cater- 
pillars, moreover,  are  furnished  with  small  warts  crowned  with 
long  prickles  or  branching  spines.  None  of  the  caterpillars 
described  in  the  preceding  pages  are  venomous;  all  of  them 
may  be  handled  with  impunity.  This  is  not  the  case  with 
the  two  following  kinds,  the  prickles  of  which  sting  severely. 
The  first  of  these  begin  to  appear  by  the  middle  of  June,  and 
other  broods  continue  to  be  hatched  till  the  middle  of  July. 
These  caterpillars  live  on  the  balsam  poplar  and  the  elm,  and, 
according  to  Mr.  Abbot,  on  the  dogwood  or  cornel,  and  the 
sassafras;  they  feed  well  also  on  the  leaves  of  clover  and 
Indian  corn.  They  are  of  a  pea-green  color,  with  a  broad 
brown  stripe  edged  below  with  white  on  each  side  of  the  body, 
beginning  on  the  fourth  ring  and  ending  at  the  tail;  they  are 
covered  with  spreading  clusters  of  green  prickles,  tipped  with 
black,  and  of  a  uniform  length;  each  of  these  clusters  consists 
of  about  thirty  prickles  branching  from  a  common  centre,  and 
there  are  six  clusters  on  each  of  the  rings  except  the  last  two, 

*  The  surname  of  Juno,  the  daughter  of  Saturn. 


304  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

on  which  there  are  only  five,  and  on  the  first  four  rings,  on 
each  of  which  there  is  an  additional  cluster  low  down  on  each 
side ;  the  feet  are  brown,  and  there  is  a  triangular  brown  spot 
on  the  under  side  of  each  ring,  beginning  with  the  fourth. 
The  pricldes  are  exceedingly  sharp,  sting  very  severely  when 
the  insect  is  handled,  and  produce  the  same  kind  of  irritation 
as  those  of  the  nettle.  When  young,  these  caterpillars  keep 
together  in  little  swarms.  They  do  not  spin  a  common  web, 
but,  when  not  eating,  they  creep  under  a  leaf,  where  they 
cluster  side  by  side.  In  going  from  or  returning  to  their  place 
of  shelter  they  move  in  regular  files,  like  the  processionary 
caterpillars  [Lasiocampa  processionea)  of  Europe,  a  single 
caterpillar  taking  the  lead,  and  followed  closely  by  perhaps 
one  or  two  in  single  file,  after  which  come  two,  side  by  side, 
close  upon  the  heels  of  these  creep  three  more,  the  next  rank 
consists  of  four,  and  so  on,  the  ranks  continually  widening 
behind,  like  a  flock  of  wild  geese  on  the  wing,  but  in  perfectly 
regular  order.  When  about  half  grown  they  disperse,  and 
each  one  shirks  for  himself.  At  the  age  of  eight  weeks  they 
get  to  their  full  size,  in  the  meanwhile  moulting  their  skins 
four  times,  and  finally  measure  two  inches  and  a  half  or  more 
in  length.  At  this  age  they  leave  off  eating,  crawl  to  the 
ground,  and  get  under  leaves  or  rubbish,  which  they  draw 
round  their  bodies  to  form  an  outer  covering,  within  which 
they  make  an  irregular  and  thin  cocoon,  of  very  gummy  brown 
silk,  that  has  almost  the  texture  of  thin  parchment.  As  soon 
as  their  cocoons  are  finished,  the  insects  are  changed  to  chry- 
salids,  in  which  form  they  remain  throughout  the  winter,  and 
in  the  following  summer,  during  the  month  of  June,  or  begin- 
ning of  July,  they  come  out  in  the  winged  or  moth  state. 
The  scientific  name  of  these  moths  is  Saturnia  lo*  Unlike 
those  of  the  genus  Attacus,  they  sit  w4th  their  wings  closed, 
and  covering  the  body  like  a  low  roof,  the  front  edge  of  the 
under  wings  extending  a  little  beyond  that  of  the  upper  wings, 
and  curving  upwards.     The  two  sexes  differ  both  in  color  and 


*  lo,  a  priestess  of  Juno,  in  Greece,  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Osiris,  the 
king  of  Egypt,  and  received  divine  honors  under  the  name  of  Isis. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  305 

size.  The  male,  which  is  the  smallest,  is  of  a  deep  or  Indian 
yellow  color;  on  its  fore  wings  there  arc  two  oblique  wavy 
lines  towards  the  hind  margin,  a  zigzag  line  near  the  base,  and 
several  spots  so  arranged  on  the  middle  as  to  form  the  letters 
A  H,  all  of  a  purplish  red  color;  the  hind  wings  are  broadly 
bordered  with  purplish  red  next  to  the  body,  and  near  the 
hinder  margin  there  is  a  narrow  curved  band  of  the  same  color; 
within  this  band  there  is  a  curved  black  line,  and  on  the  middle 
of  the  wing  a  large  round  blue  spot,  having  a  broad  black 
border  and  a  central  white  dash.  The  fore  wings  of  the  female 
are  purple-brown,  mingled  with  gray;  the  zigzag  and  wavy 
lines  across  them  are  gray,  and  the  lettered  space  in  the  middle 
is  replaced  by  a  brown  spot  surrounded  by  an  irregular  gray 
line;  the  hind  wings  resemble  those  of  the  male  in  color  and 
markings;  the  thorax  and  legs  are  purple-brown;  and  the  abdo- 
men is  ochre-yellow,  with  a  narrow  purple-red  band  on  the  edge 
of  each  ring.  These  moths  expand  from  two  inches  and  three 
quarters  to  three  inches  and  a  half. 

The  other  Saturnia,  inhabiting  Massachusetts,  is  the  Maia* 
of  Drury,  or  Proserpina'^  of  Fabricius.  The  moth  probably 
rests  with  its  wings  closed,  like  the  lo  moth,  the  fore  wings 
covering  the  other  pair,  the  front  edge  of  which  seems  formed 
to  extend  a  little  beyond  that  of  the  fore  wings  in  this  position. 
The  wings  are  thin  and  almost  transparent  like  crape;  they 
are  black,  and  both  pairs  are  crossed  by  a  broad  yellow-white 
band,  near  the  middle  of  which,  on  each  wing,  there  is  a  kidney- 
shaped  black  spot  having  a  central  yellow-white  crescent  or 
curved  line  on  it;  the  thorax  is  covered  with  black  hairs  on  the 
top,  pale  yellow  hairs  on  the  fore  part,  and  has  two  tufts  of 
rust-red  hairs  behind  ;  the  abdomen  is  black,  with  a  few  yellow- 
ish hairs  along  the  sides,  and  a  patch  of  a  rust-red  color  at  the 
extremity,  in  the  males.  The  wings  expand  from  two  inches 
and  a  half  to  three  inches  and  one  eighth.  Saturnia  Maia 
seems  to  be  a  very  rare  moth  in  Massachusetts;  I  have  never 


*  Maia,  in  Mythology,  was  one  of  the  seven  daughters  of  Atlas ;  they  were 
placed  in  the  heavens  after  death,  and  formed  the  constellation  called  Pleiades. 
t  Proserpina  was  the  wife  of  Pluto,  the  god  of  the  infernal  regions. 

39 


306  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

met  with  it  alive,  but  have  seen  several  specimens  which  were 
taken  in  this  State.  The  time  of  its  appearance  here  is  not 
known  to  me  with  certainty;  but,  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  it 
has  been  found  in  July  and  the  beginning  of  August,  flying 
by  day  on  the  borders  of  oak  woods,  or  resting  on  the  shrub 
oaks  which  cover  the  sides  of  some  of  our  high  hills.  Of  the 
caterpillar  I  have  seen  only  one  specimen,  which  was  found, 
fully  grown,  on  an  oak,  towards  the  end  of  September;  it  was 
destroyed,  however,  before  I  had  an  opportunity  of  making  a 
description  of  it.  Mr.  Abbot*  has  figured  two  of  the  cater- 
pillars, which  differ  from  each  other  in  color  and  markings. 
They  are  nearly  three  inches  long;  the  head  and  all  the  feet 
are  red ;  and  on  each  of  the  rings  there  are  six  long  branched 
prickles.  One  of  these  caterpillars  is  represented  of  a  dusky 
brown  color  mingled  with  yellow,  with  yellow  warts  from  which 
the  prickles  arise.  The  other  is  yellow,  with  red  warts,  and 
two  black  stripes  along  the  back.  Mr.  Abbot  states  that  these 
caterpillars,  while  small,  feed  together  in  company,  but  disperse 
as  they  grow  large;  they  eat  the  leaves  of  various  kinds  of 
oaks  ;  sting  very  sharply  when  handled  ;  and  that  they  go  into 
the  ground  to  transform;  but  he  does  not  inform  us  whether 
they  make  cocoons.  Probably  their  cocoons  are  like  those  of 
the  lo  moth,  composed  of  a  gammy  membranaceous  sub- 
stance, covered  either  with  leaves  or  with  grains  of  earth. 

As  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  these  six  moths  are  the  only  Satur- 
nians  which  have  been  discovered  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
they  are  commonly  met  with  throughout  the  United  States. 
The  last  of  them,  together  with  some  foreign  species,  such  as 
the  Tau  moth  of  Europe,  seem  naturally  to  conduct  to  the 
next  family,  which  I  call  Ceratocampians  (Ceratocampad^), 
after  the  name  of  the  chief  genus  contained  in  it.  This  name, 
moreover,  signifying  horned  caterpillar,  serves  to  point  out  the 
principal  peculiarity  of  the  caterpillars  in  this  group;  they 
being  armed  with  thorny  points,  of  which  those  on  the  second 
ring,  and  sometimes  also  those  on  the  third,  are  long,  curved, 
and  resemble  horns.    These  caterpillars  eat  the  leaves  of  forest- 

*  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  99,  pi.  60. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  307 

trees,  and  go  into  the  ground  to  undergo  their  transformations 
without  making  cocoons.  The  rings  of  the  chrysalis  are  sur- 
rounded by  little  notched  ridges,  the  teeth  of  which,  together 
with  the  strong  prickles  at  the  hinder  end  of  the  body,  assist 
it  in  forcing  its  way  upwards  out  of  the  earth,  just  as  the  moth 
is  about  to  burst  the  skin  of  the  chrysalis.  The  moths  are 
very  easily  distinguished  from  all  the  foregoing  by  their  an- 
tennte,  which  are  short,  and,  in  the  males,  are  feathered  on 
both  sides  for  a  little  more  than  half  the  length  of  the  stalk, 
and  are  naked  from  thence  to  the  tip;  while  those  of  the 
females  are  threadlike,  and  neither  feathered  nor  toothed. 
The  feelers  (except  in  Ceratocampa,  in  which  they  are  very 
distinct)  and  the  tongue  are  very  small,  and  not  ordinarily 
visible.  There  are  no  bristles  and  hooks  to  fasten  together  the 
wings,  which,  when  at  rest,  are  not  spread,  but  are  closed,  the 
fore  wings  covering  the  hinder  pair,  and  the  front  edge  of  the 
latter,  in  most  cases,  extends  a  little  beyond  that  of  the  fore 
wings.  These  are  some  of  the  principal  characters  on  which 
I  have  ventured  to  establish  this  family,  which  is  now,  for  the 
first  time,  pointed  out  as  a  peculiar  group.  I  believe  that  it  is 
exclusively  American. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  rare,  and  withal  the  most 
magnificent  of  our  moths  is  the  Ceratocampa  regalis,  or  regal 
walnut-moth.  Its  fore  wings  are  olive-colored,  adorned  with 
several  yellow  spots,  and  veined  with  broad  red  lines ;  the 
hind  wings  are  orange-red,  with  two  large  irregular  yellow 
patches  before,  and  a  row  of  wedge-shaped  olive-colored  spots 
between  the  veins  behind;  the  head  is  orange-red;  the  thorax 
is  yellow,  with  the  edge  of  the  collar,  the  shoulder-covers,  and 
an  angular  spot  on  the  top,  orange-red ;  the  upper  side  of  the 
abdomen,  and  the  legs  are  also  orange-red.  Unlike  the  other 
moths  of  the  same  family,  the  feelers  in  this  are  distinct,  cylin- 
drical, and  prominent,  and  the  front  edge  of  the  hind  wings 
does  not  seem  to  be  formed  to  extend  beyond  that  of  the  other 
pair  when  the  wings  are  closed.  It  expands  from  five  to  six 
inches.  In  the  year  1828,  I  found  three  of  the  eggs  of  this  fine 
insect  on  the  black  walnut  on  the  twentieth  of  July  and  the 
fourth  of  August.     They  were  just  hatched  at  the  time,  and 


308  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  caterpillars  were  near  to  them  resting  on  a  leaf.  The 
position  of  these  young  insects  was  so  peculiar  as  to  attract 
attention,  independently  of  the  long  branching  spines  with 
which  the  fore  part  of  their  body  was  armed.  They  were  not 
stretched  out  in  a  straight  line,  neither  were  they  hunched  up 
like  the  caterpillars  of  the  Luna  and  Polyphemus  moths ;  but, 
when  at  rest,  they  bent  the  fore  part  of  the  body  sidewise,  so 
that  the  head  nearly  touched  the  middle  of  the  side,  and  their 
long  horn-like  spines  were  stretched  forwards,  in  a  slanting 
direction,  over  the  head.  When  disturbed  they  raised  their 
heads  and  horns,  and  shook  them  from  side  to  side  in  a  me- 
nacing manner.  These  little  caterpillars  were  nearly  black ; 
on  each  of  the  rings,  except  the  last  two,  there  were  six  straight 
yellow  thorns  or  spines,  which  were  furnished  on  all  sides  with 
little  sharp  points  like  short  branches.  Of  these  branched 
spines,  two  on  the  top  of  the  first  ring,  and  four  on  the  second 
and  the  third  rings,  or  ten  in  all,  were  very  much  longer  than 
the  rest,  and  were  tipped  with  little  knobs,  ending  in  two 
points  ;  they  were  also  movable,  the  insect  having  the  power 
of  dropping  them  almost  horizontally  over  the  head,  and  of 
raising  them  up  again  perpendicularly.  On  the  eleventh  ring 
there  were  seven  spines,  the  middle  one  being  long  and 
knobbed  like  those  on  the  fore  part  of  the  body  ;  on  the  last 
ring  there  were  eleven  short  and  branched  spines.  After  cast- 
ing its  skin  two  or  three  times,  the  caterpillar  becomes  lighter 
colored,  and  gradually  changes  to  green  ;  the  knobs  on  the  long 
spines  disappear,  their  little  points  or  branches  do  not  increase 
in  size,  and  finally  these  spines  become  curved,  turning  back- 
wards at  their  points,  and  resemble  horns.  AVhen  fully  grown, 
the  caterpillar  measures  from  four  to  five  inches  in  length,  and 
about  three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  It  is  of  a  green 
color,  and  transversely  banded  across  each  of  the  rings  with 
pale  blue ;  there  is  a  large  blue-black  spot  on  each  side  of  the 
third  ring;  the  head  and  legs  are  orange-colored;  the  ten  long 
horn-like  spines  on  the  fore  part  of  the  body  are  orange-colored, 
with  the  tips  and  the  points  surrounding  them  black;  the  other 
spines  are  short  and  black.  Notwithstanding  the  great  size,  for- 
midable appearance,  and  menacing  motions  of  this  insect,  when 


LEPIDOPTERA.  809 

handled  it  is  perfectly  harmless,  and  unable  to  sting  or  wound 
with  its  frightful  horns.  It  lives  solitary  on  walnut  and  hick- 
ory trees,  the  leaves  of  which  it  eats ;  crawls  down  and  goes 
into  the  ground  towards  the  end  of  summer,  and  changes  to  a 
chrysalis  without  previously  making  a  cocoon.  Unfortunately 
my  caterpillars  died  before  the  time  for  their  transformation 
arrived.  The  chrysalis  is  short  and  thick  ;  obtuse  behind,  but 
terminated  by  two  minute  points ;  and  the  transverse  notched 
ridges  or  little  teeth  that  are  found  on  the  chrysalids  of  the 
other  insects  belonging  to  the  same  family,  are  very  small  and 
hardly  visible  on  this  one.  The  insect  remains  in  the  ground 
through  the  winter,  and  the  moth  comes  out  in  the  following 
summer,  during  the  month  of  June,  if  I  am  rightly  informed. 
I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  one  myself,  and  my  description 
of  the  moth  was  made  from  a  very  fine  specimen  belonging  to 
a  friend,  who  received  it  from  New  Bedford. 

Between  the  regal  Ceratocampa  and  the  smaller  insects  of 
this  family  belonging  to  the  new  genus  Dryocampa^  should  be 
placed  a  noble  moth,  which  partakes,  in  some  respects,  of  the 
characters  of  both ;  its  horned  caterpillar,  particularly  while 
young,  when  its  horns  are  proportionally  longer  and  more 
formidable  in  appearance  than  afterwards,  resembles  some- 
what that  of  the  Ceratocampa  ;  its  chrysahs  is  exactly  like  that 
of  a  Dri/ocampa,  and  like  the  latter  also,  in  the  winged  state, 
its  feelers  are  minute,  its  hind  wings  project  beyond  the  front 
edges  of  the  fore  wings  when  at  rest,  and  its  style  of  coloring 
is  the  same.  In  my  Catalogue  of  the  "  Insects  of  Massachu- 
setts," I  placed  this  moth,  the  imperialis  of  Drury,  in  the  genus 
Ceratocampa,  from  which,  however,  it  must  be  removed,  on 
account  of  its  very  small  feelers,  and  the  position  of  its  wings ; 
and  I  now  refer  it,  with  some  hesitation,  to  the  genus  Dnjo- 
cajnpa,  with  which  it  agrees  so  well  in  the  moth  state,  although 
its  caterpillar  differs  a  good  deal  from  those  of  the  other  insects 
of  the  same  genus.  The  imperial  moth,  Dnjocampa  imperialis 
has  wings  of  a  fine  yellow  color,  thickly  sprinkled  with  purple- 
brown  dots,  with  a  large  patch  at  the  base,  a  small  round  spot 
near  the  middle,  and  a  wavy  band  towards  the  hinder  margin 
of  each  wing,  of  a  light  purple-brown  color;  in  the  males  there 


310  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

is  another  purple-brown  spot,  covering  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
outer  hind  margin  of  the  fore  wings,  and  united  to  the  band 
near  that  part ;  the  body  is  yellow,  shaded  with  purple-brown 
on  the  back,  and  with  three  spots  of  the  same  color  on  the 
thorax.  It  expands  from  four  inches  and  a  half  to  more  than 
five  inches.  In  a  variety  of  this  moth,  of  which  I  have  a 
colored  drawing  done  by  Mr.  Abbot,  the  purple-brown  color 
prevails  so  much  as  to  cover  the  wings,  with  the  exception  only 
of  a  large  triangular  yellow  spot  contiguous  to  the  front  margin 
of  each  wing.  This  moth  appears  here  from  the  twelfth  of 
June  to  the  beginning  of  July,  and  then  lays  its  eggs  on  the 
button-wood  tree.  The  caterpillars  may  be  found  upon  this 
tree,  grown  to  their  full  size,  between  the  twentieth  of  August 
and  the  end  of  September,  during  which  time  they  descend 
from  the  trees  to  go  into  the  ground.  They  are  then  from 
three  to  four  inches  in  length,  and  more  than  half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  and,  for  the  most  part,  of  a  green  color,  slightly 
tinged  with  red  on  the  back ;  but  many  of  them  become  more 
or  less  tanned  or  swarthy,  and  are  sometimes  found  entirely 
brown.  There  are  a  few  very  short  hairs  thinly  scattered  over 
the  body ;  the  head  and  the  legs  are  pale  orange-colored ;  the 
oval  spiracles,  or  breathing  holes,  on  the  sides,  are  large  and 
white,  encircled  with  green ;  on  each  of  the  rings,  except  the 
first,  there  are  six  thorny  knobs  or  hard  and  pointed  warts  of  a 
yellow  color,  covered  with  short  black  prickles ;  the  two  up- 
permost of  these  warts  on  the  top  of  the  second  and  of  the 
third  rings  are  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  more  in  length,  curved 
backwards  like  horns,  and  are  of  a  deeper  yellow  color  than 
the  rest ;  the  three  triangular  pieces  on  the  posterior  extremity 
of  the  body  are  brown,  with  yellow  margins,  and  are  covered 
with  raised  orange-colored  dots.  The  chrysalis,  which  is  not 
contained  in  a  cocoon,  is  about  two  inches  long,  of  a  dark 
chestnut-brown  color,  rough  with  little  elevated  points,  particu- 
larly on  the  anterior  extremity,  ends  behind  with  a  long  forked 
spine,  and  is  surrounded,  on  each  ring,  with  a  notched  ridge, 
the  little  teeth  of  which  point  towards  the  tail.  Three  of  the 
grooves  or  incisions  between  the  rings  are  very  deep,  thus  al- 
lowing a  great  extent  of  motion  to  the  joints,  and  these,  with 


LEPIDOPTERA.  311 

the  notched  ridges,  and  the  long  spine  at  the  end  of  the  body, 
enable  the  chrysalis  to  work  its  way  upwards  in  the  earth, 
above  the  surface  of  which  it  pushes  the  fore  part  of  its  body 
just  bofore  the  moth  makes  its  escape. 

Dryocampa,  oak  or  forest  caterpillar,  is  a  name  originally 
applied  by  me  to  certain  insects,  found  sometimes  in  great 
numbers  on  oak-trees,  which  then  suffer  very  severely  from 
their  ravages.  Of  these  caterpillars  there  are  several  kinds, 
resembling  each  other  in  shape,  and  in  the  form  and  situation 
of  the  thorns  with  which  they  are  armed,  but  differing  in  color, 
and  in  the  moths  produced  from  them.  They  live  together  in 
swarms,  but  do  not  make  webs ;  their  bodies  are  cylindrical, 
remarkably  hard  and  stiff",  naked  or  not  hairy,  and  have,  on 
each  ring,  about  six  short  thorns,  or  sharp  points,  besides  two 
on  the  top  of  the  second  ring,  which  are  long,  slender  and 
threadlike,  but  not  ffexible,  and  project  in  the  manner  of  horns. 
The  most  common  of  these  caterpillars  in  Massachusetts  is 
black,  with  four  narrow  ochre-yellow  stripes  along  the  back, 
and  two  on  each  side.  It  is  found  in  swarms  of  several  hun- 
dreds together,  on  the  limbs  of  the  w^hite  and  red  oaks,  during 
the  month  of  August.  The  eggs  from  which  they  proceed  are 
laid  in  large  clusters  on  the  under  side  of  a  leaf  near  the  end 
of  a  branch.  The  caterpillars  are  hatched  towards  the  end  of 
July,  but  sometimes  earlier,  and  at  other  times  later.  At  first 
they  eat  only  the  youngest  leaves  at  the  end  of  the  branches 
and  twigs,  and,  as  they  grow  larger  and  stronger,  proceed 
downwards,  devouring  every  leaf,  to  the  midrib  and  foot-stalk, 
from  one  end  of  the  branch  to  the  other.  They  have  their 
regular  times  for  eating  and  for  rest,  and  when  they  have  fin- 
ished their  meals,  they  cluster  closely  together  along  the  twigs 
and  branches.  If  disturbed,  they  raise  the  fore  part  of  their 
bodies,  and  shake  their  heads  to  signify  their  displeasure. 
When  fully  grown  they  measure  about  two  inches  in  length. 
Commonly  in  the  early  part  of  September,  they  crawl  down 
the  trees  and  go  into  the  ground,  to  the  depth  of  four  or  five 
inches,  where  they  are  changed  to  chrysalids.  These  resemble 
the  chrysalids  of  the  imperial  Dryocampa,  but  are  much  smaller, 
and  like  them  they  remain  in  the  ground  throughout  the  win- 


312  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

ter,  and  work  their  way  up  to  the  surface  in  the  following 
summer.  These  chrysalids  may  often  be  seen  sticking  half 
way  out  of  the  ground  under  oak-trees  in  the  latter  part  of 
June  and  the  beginning  of  July,  at  which  time  the  moths  burst 
them  open  and  make  their  escape.  Dnjocampa  senatoria,  the 
senatorial  Dryocampa,  which  is  the  name  of  this  kind  of  moth, 
is  of  an  ochre-yellow  color;  the  wings  are  faintly  tinged  with 
purplish  red,  especially  on  the  front  and  hind  margins,  and  are 
crossed  by  a  narrow  purple-brown  band  behind  the  middle  ; 
the  fore'  wings  are  sprinkled  with  blackish  dots,  and  have  a 
small  round  white  spot  near  the  middle.  The  male  is  much 
smaller  than  the  female,  its  wings  are  thinner,  and  more  tinged 
with  dull  purple-red.  It  expands  about  an  inch  and  three 
quarters ;  the  female  two  inches  and  a  half,  or  more. 

Three  more  kinds  of  Dryocampa  are  found  in  Massachusetts, 
but  they  are  all  rare  in  this  State.  The  largest  of  them  is  the 
stigma  of  Fabricius,  or  spotted-wing  Dryocampa.  It  is  of  a 
reddish  ochre  or  deep  tawny  yellow  color ;  the  fore  wings  are 
tinged  with  purplish  red  behind,  are  thickly  sprinkled  with 
blackish  dots,  have  a  small  round  white  spot  near  the  middle, 
and  a  narrow  oblique  purple-red  band  behind ;  the  hind  wings 
have  a  narrow  transverse  purple-red  band,  behind  which  the 
border  is  sprinkled  with  a  few  black  dots.  It  expands  from 
one  inch  and  three  quarters  to  two  inches  and  three  quarters. 
The  caterpillar,  which  I  have  not  seen,  is  figured  in  Mr.  Ab- 
bot's work,*  where  it  is  colored  yellow,  with  black  thorns  on 
its  back.  It  is  said  to  live  on  the  oak,  in  swarms,  while  young, 
but  these  disperse  as  the  insects  grow  large. 

The  following  resembles  the  senatorial  Dryocampa ;  but  is 
rather  smaller,  and  is  a  more  delicate  moth.  The  color  of  its 
body  is  ocre-yellow ;  the  fore  wings  of  the  male  are  purple- 
brown,  with  a  large  colorless  transparent  space  on  the  middle, 
near  which  is  a  small  round  white  spot,  and  towards  the  hinder 
margin  a  narrow  oblique  very  faint  dusky  stripe ;  the  hind 
wings  are  purple-brown,  almost  transparent  in  the  middle,  and 
with   a  very  faint  transverse  dusky  stripe ;  the  wings  of  the 

*  "Insects  of  Georgia/'  p.  Ill,  pi.  56. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  313 

female  are  purplish  red,  blended  with  ochre-yellow,  are  almost 
transparent  in  the  middle,  and  have  the  same  white  spots  and 
faint  bands  as  those  of  the  male.  It  expands  from  one  inch 
and  three  quarters  to  two  inches  and  a  quarter,  or  more,  in 
some  females.  The  distinguishing  name,  given  by  Sir  J.  E. 
Smith*  to  this  moth,  is  pellucida,  and  we  may  call  it  the  pel- 
lucid or  clear-wing  Dryocampa.  I  have  only  once  seen  the 
caterpillar,  which  was  found  on  an  oak  on  the  twenty-fifth  of 
September.  It  was  about  the  size  of  that  of  the  senatorial  Dry- 
ocampa, and  resembled  it  in  every  thing  but  color.  Its  head 
was  rust-yellow,  its  body  pea-green,  shaded  on  the  back  and 
sides  with  red,  longitudinally  striped  with  very  pale  yellowish 
green,  and  armed  with  black  thorns. 

The  last  of  these  insects  is  the  ruhicunda  of  Fabricius,  or 
rosy  Dryocampa.  This  delicate  and  very  rare  moth  is  found 
in  Massachusetts  in  July.  Its  fore  wings  are  rose-colored, 
crossed  by  a  broad  pale  yellow  band  ;  the  hind  wings  are  pale 
yellow,  with  a  short  rosy  band  behind  the  middle ;  the  body  is 
yellow  ;  the  belly  and  legs  are  rose-colored.  It  expands  rather 
more  than  one  inch  and  three  quarters.  The  caterpillar  is 
unknown  to  me. 

All  the  Moth  caterpillars  thus  far  described  in  this  work,  live 
more  or  less  exposed  to  view,  and  devour  the  leaves  of  plants; 
but  there  are  others  that  are  concealed  from  observation  in 
stems  and  roots,  which  they  pierce  in  various  directions,  and 
devour  only  the  wood  and  pith ;  their  habits,  in  this  respect, 
being  exactly  like  those  of  the  ^gerians  among  the  Sphinges. 
These  insects  belong  to  a  family  of  Bombyces,  by  some  natu- 
ralists called  Zeuzerad.e,  and  by  others  Hepialid.e,  both 
names  derived  from  insects  included  in  the  same  group.  The 
caterpillars  of  the  Zeuzerians  are  white  or  reddish  white,  soft 
and  naked,  or  slightly  downy,  with  brown  horny  heads,  a  spot 
on  the  top  of  the  fore  part  of  the  body  which  is  also  brown  and 
hard,  and  sixteen  legs.  They  make  imperfect  cocoons,  some- 
times of  silk,  and  sometimes  of  morsels  of  wood  or  grains  of 
earth  fastened  together  by  gummy  silk.     Their  chrysalids,  like 


•Abbot's  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  115,  pi.  53. 

40 


314  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

those  of  the  Ceratocampians,  are  provided  with  notched  trans- 
verse ridges  on  the  rings,  by  means  of  which  they  push  them- 
selves out  of  their  holes  when  ready  to  be  transformed.  The 
moths  differ  a  good  deal  from  each  other,  although  the  appear- 
ance and  habits  of  the  caterpillars  are  so  much  alike.  The 
antennae  in  some  are  threadlike,  or  made  up  of  nearly  cylin- 
drical joints  put  together  like  a  string  of  beads;  in  others  they 
are  more  tapering,  and  doubly  pectinated  or  toothed  on  the 
under  side,  at  least  in  the  males ;  and  in  Zeuzera,  a  kind  of 
moth  not  hitherto  found  in  this  country,  the  antennse  resemble 
those  of  the  Ceratocampians,  being  half-feathered  in  the  males, 
and  not  feathered  in  the  females.  The  wings  are  rather  long 
and  narrow,  and  are  strengthened  by  very  numerous  veins. 
The  female  is  provided  with  a  kind  of  tube  at  the  end  of  the 
body,  that  can  be  drawn  in  and  out,  by  means  of  which  she 
thrusts  her  eggs  into  the  chinks  of  the  bark  or  into  the  earth  at 
the  roots  of  plants. 

Of  the  root-eaters  there  is  one  kind  which  is  very  injurious 
to  the  hop-vine  in  Europe.  It  is  called  Hepiolus  Humidi,  the 
hop-vine  Hepiolus.  The  caterpillar  is  yellowish  white;  the 
head,  a  spot  on  the  top  of  the  first  and  second  rings,  and  the 
six  fore  legs  are  shining  brown,  and  it  is  nearly  naked,  or  has 
only  a  few  short  hairs  scattered  over  its  body.  It  lives  in  the 
roots  of  the  hop,  and,  when  about  to  transform,  buries  itself  in 
the  ground,  and  makes  a  long,  cylindrical  cocoon  or  case, 
composed  of  grains  of  earth  held  together  by  a  loose  silken 
web.  The  chrysalis  has  transverse  rows  of  little  teeth  on  the 
backs  of  the  abdominal  rings,  and  by  means  of  them  it  finally 
works  its  way  out  of  the  cocoon  and  rises  to  the  surface  of  the 
earth ;  this  being  done,  the  included  moth  bursts  its  chrysalis 
shell,  and  comes  forth  into  the  open  air.  In  moths  of  this 
kind  (genus  Hepiolus)  the  antennas  are  very  short,  slender, 
almost  thread-like,  and  not  feathered  or  pectinated;  the  tongue 
is  wanting  or  invisible;  and  the  feelers  are  excessively  small, 
and  concealed  in  a  tuft  of  hairs.  The  hop-vine  Hepiolus  has 
not  yet  been  detected  in  Massachusetts;  but  we  have  a  much 
larger  species,  known  to  me  only  in  the  moth  state,  which  is 
the  reason  of  my  having  given  the  foregoing  account  of  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  315 

preparatory  stages  of  a  European  species.  This  moth  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  described.  It  is  named  in  my  Cata- 
logue of  the  "Insects  of  Massachusetts,"  Hcpiolus  arg-enteo- 
macnlatus,  the  silver-spotted  Hepiolus.  Its  body  and  wings 
are  rather  long.  It  is  of  an  ashen  gray  color;  the  fore  wings 
are  variegated  with  dusky  clouds  and  bands,  and  have  a  small 
triangular  spot  and  a  round  dot  of  a  silvery  white  color  near 
their  base ;  the  hind  wings  are  tinged  with  ochre-yellow 
towards  the  tip.  It  expands  two  inches  and  three  quarters. 
A  much  larger  specimen  was  found  by  Professor  Agassiz  near 
Lake  Superior.* 

The  locust-tree,  Robinia  pseudacacia,  is  preyed  upon  by 
three  different  kinds  of  wood-eaters  or  borers,  whose  unchecked 
ravages  seem  to  threaten  the  entire  destruction  and  extermi- 
nation of  this  valuable  tree  within  this  part  of  the  United 
States.  One  of  these  borers  is  a  little  reddish  caterpillar, 
whose  operations  are  confined  to  the  small  branches  and  to 
very  young  trees,  in  the  pith  of  which  it  lives;  and  by  its  irri- 
tation it  causes  the  twig  to  swell  around  the  part  attacked. 
These  swellings  being  spongy,  and  also  perforated  by  the  cater- 
pillar, are  weaker  than  the  rest  of  the  stem,  which  therefore 
easily  breaks  off  at  these  places.  My  attempts  to  complete 
the  history  of  this  insect  have  not  been  successful  hitherto. 

The  second  kind  of  borer  of  the  locust-tree  is  larger  than  the 
foregoing,  is  a  grub,  and  not  a  caterpillar,  which  finally  turns 
to  the  beetle  named  Cljjtns  pictus,  the  painted  Clytus,  already 
described  on  a  preceding  page  of  this  work. 

The  third  of  the  wood-eaters,  to  which  the  locust-tree  is 
exposed,  though  less  common  than  the  others,  and  not  so 
universally  destructive  to  the  tree  as  the  painted  Clytus,  is  a 
very  much  larger  borer,  and  is  occasionally  productive  of  great 
injury,  especially  to  full-grown  and  old  trees,  for  which  it 
appears  to  have  a  preference.  It  is  a  true  caterpillar,  belong- 
ing to  the  tribe  of  moths  under  consideration,  is  reddish  above, 
and  white  beneath,  with  the  head  and  top  of  the  first  ring 
brown  and  shelly,  and  there  are  a  few  short  hairs  arising  from 

*  See  a  figure  of  it  iu  his  "  Lake  Superior,"  pi.  7,  fig.  6. 


316  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

minute  warts  thinly  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  body. 
When  fully  grown,  it  measures  two  inches  and  a  half,  or  more, 
in  length,  and  is  nearly  as  thick  as  the  end  of  the  little  finger. 
These  caterpillars  bore  the  tree  in  various  directions,  but  for 
the  most  part  obliquely  upwards  and  downwards  through  the 
solid  wood,  enlarging  the  holes  as  they  increase  in  size,  and 
continuing  them  through  the  bark  to  the  outside  of  the  trunk. 
Before  transforming,  they  line  these  passages  with  a  web  of 
silk,  and,  retiring  to  some  distance  from  the  orifice,  they  spin 
around  their  bodies  a  closer  web,  or  cocoon,  within  which  they 
assume  the  chrysalis  form.  The  chrysalis  measures  one  inch 
and  a  half  or  two  inches  in  length,  is  of  an  amber  color, 
changing  to  brown  on  the  fore  part  of  the  body;  and,  on  the 
upper  side  of  each  abdominal  ring,  are  two  transverse  rows  of 
tooth-like  projections.  By  the  help  of  these,  the  insect,  when 
ready  for  its  last  transformation,  works  its  way  to  the  mouth 
of  its  burrow,  where  it  remains  while  the  chrysalis  skin  is  rent, 
upon  which  it  comes  forth  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  a  winged 
moth.  In  this  its  perfected  state,  it  is  of  a  gray  color ;  the  fore 
wings  are  thickly  covered  with  dusky  netted  lines  and  irregular 
spots,  the  hind  wings  are  more  uniformly  dusky,  and  the 
shoulder-covers  are  edged  with  black  on  the  inside.  It  ex- 
pands about  three  inches.  The  male,  which  is  much  smaller, 
and  has  been  mistaken  for  another  species,  is  much  darker 
than  the  female,  from  which  it  differs  also  in  having  a  large 
ochre-yellow  spot  on  the  hind  wings,  contiguous  to  their  pos- 
terior margin.  Professor  Peck,  who  first  made  public  the 
history  of  this  insect,*  named  it  Cossus  Robinice,  the  Cossus 
of  the  Locust-tree,  scientifically  called  Robinia.  It  is  supposed 
by  Professor  Peck  to  remain  three  years  in  the  caterpillar  state. 
The  moth  comes  forth  about  the  middle  of  July.  The  same 
insect,  or  one  not  to  be  distinguished  from  it  while  a  cater- 
pillar, perforates  the  trunks  of  the  red  oak.  Mr.  Newman  f  has 
recently  given  the  name  of  Xi/levtes,  the  carpenter,  to  the  genus 


*  See  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Repository  and  Journal,"  Vol.  V.,  p.  67,  with 
a  plate. 

t  See  "Entomological  Magazine,"  Vol.  V.,  p.  129. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  317 

including  this  insect,  instead  of  Cossns,  which  it  formerly  bore, 
because  the  latter,  being  the  name  of  a  species,  ought  not  to 
have  been  applied  to  a  genus.  The  European  carpenter-moth, 
called  Bovibjjx  Cossus*  by  Linnteus,  will  now  be  the  Xyleutes 
Cossus ;  and  our  indigenous  species  will  be  the  Xylevtes 
Robinics,  or  locust-tree  carpenter-moth.  The  moths  of  this 
genus  have  thick  and  robust  bodies,  broad  and  thickly  veined 
wings,  two  very  distinct  feelers,  and  antennae,  which  are  fur- 
nished on  the  under  side,  in  both  sexes,  with  a  double  set  of 
short  teeth,  rather  longer  in  the  male  than  in  the  female. 
Their  tongue  is  invisible.  They  give  out  a  strong  and  pecu- 
liar smell,  whence  they  are  sometimes  called  goat-moths  by 
English  writers. 

Some  caterpillars,  which  eat  the  leaves  of  plants,  live  in 
cases  or  long  oval  cocoons,  open  at  both  ends,  and  large 
enough  for  the  insects  to  turn  around  within  them,  so  as  to  go 
out  of  either  end.  They  do  not  entirely  leave  these  cases, 
even  when  moving  from  place  to  place,  but  cling  to  them  on 
the  inside  with  the  legs  of  the  hinder  part  of  their  bodies,  while 
their  heads  and  fore  legs  are  thrust  out.  Thus  in  moving  they 
creep  with  their  six  fore  legs  only,  and  drag  along  their  cases 
after  them  as  they  go.  These  cases  are  made  of  silk  within, 
and  are  covered  on  the  outside  with  leaves,  bits  of  straw,  or 
little  sticks.  The  caterpillars  are  nearly  cylindrical,  generally 
soft  and  whitish,  except  the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  first 
three  rings,  which  are  brown  and  hard  ;  they  have  sixteen  legs; 
the  first  three  pairs  are  long,  strong,  and  armed  with  stout 
claws ;  the  others  are  very  short,  consisting  merely  of  slight 
wart-like  elevations  provided  with  numerous  minute  clinging 
hooks.  When  they  are  about  to  change  their  forms  their 
cases  serve  them  instead  of  cocoons;  they  fasten  them  by 
silken  threads  to  the  plant  on  which  they  live,  stop  up  the 
holes  in  them,  and  then  throw  off  their  caterpillar-skins.  The 
chrysalids  are  remarkably  blunt  at  the  hinder  extremity,  and 
are  provided  with  transverse  rows  of  minute  teeth  on  the  back 
of  the  abdominal  rings.     The  moths,  of  which  there  arc  several 


Subsequently  named  Cossus  ligniperda  by  Fabricius. 


318  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

kinds  produced  by  these  case-bearing  caterpillars,  difTer  very 
much  from  each  other;  but,  as  they  all  agree  in  their  habits 
and  general  appearance  while  in  the  caterpillar  form,  they  are 
brought  together  in  one  family  called  Psychab.i:,  the  Psychians, 
from  Psyche,  a  genus  belonging  to  it.  The  Germans  give 
these  insects  a  more  characteristic  name,  that  of  sacktrdg-er* 
that  is,  sack-bearers,  and  Hiibner  called  them  Canephorce,  or 
basket-carriers,  because  the  cases  of  some  of  them  arc  made  of 
little  sticks  somewhat  like  a  wicker  basket.  The  cases  of  the 
insects  belonging  to  the  European  genus  Psyche  are  covered 
with  small  leaves,  bits  of  grass  or  of  sticks,  placed  length- 
wise on  them.  The  chrysalis  of  the  male  Psyche  pushes  itself 
half  way  out  of  the  case  when  about  to  set  free  the  moth;  the 
female,  on  the  contrary,  never  leaves  its  cocoon,  is  not  provided 
with  wings,  and  its  antennae  and  legs  are  very  short.  The 
male  Psyche  resembles  somewhat  the  same  sex  of  Org'yia, 
having  pretty  broad  wings,  and  antennse  that  are  doubly 
feathered  on  the  under  side;  it  has  also  a  bristle  and  hook  to 
hold  the  wings  together.  The  cases  of  Oiketicvs^  another 
and  much  larger  kind  of  sack-bearer,  inhabiting  the  West 
Lidies  and  South  America,  are  covered  with  pieces  of  leaves 
and  of  sticks  arranged  either  longitudinally  or  transversely. 
The  cases  of  some  of  the  females,  measure  four  or  five  inches 
in  length.  Some  which  I  received  from  Cuba  were  covered 
with  little  bits  of  sticks,  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long, 
arranged  transversely,  and  the  cases  were  hung  by  a  thick 
silken  loop  or  ring  to  a  twig  ;  the  lower  end  of  these  cases  was 
filled  with  a  large  quantity  of  loose  and  very  soft  brownish 
floss-silk,  which  completely  closed  the  orifice  within.  The 
male  Oiketicus  resembles  a  Zeuzera  in  the  form  and  sreat 
length  of  its  body,  in  the  shape  of  its  wings,  and  in  its  an- 
tenna>,  and  in  both  the  latter  it  resembles  also  the  same  sex  of 
a  Dryocampa,  particularly  in  its  antennse,  which  are  feathered 
on  both  sides  on  the  lower  part  of  the  stalli,  and  are  bare  at  the 

*  See  Gcrmar's  "Magazin  der  Entomologie,"  Vol,  I.,  p.  19. 
t  This  name  ought  to  be  (Ecatlcus.     See  Mr.  Guildiiig's  description  of  the 
insect  in  the  "Transactions  of  the  Linna;an  Society,"  Vol.  XV. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  319 

other  end.  The  female  has  neither  wings,  antennae,  nor  legs, 
and  is  said  to  remain  always  within  its  cocoon.  Some  years 
ago,  a  case  or  cocoon  of  an  Oike tints,  which  was  found  on 
Long  Island,  was  presented  to  me.  It  was  smaller  than  the 
West  Indian  specimens,  measuring  only  an  inch  and  a  half 
without  its  loop,  and  was  covered  with  a  few  little  sticks 
longitudinally  arranged.  It  contained  a  female  chrysalis,  with 
the  remains  of  the  caterpillar.  In  Philadelphia  and  the  vicin- 
ity, cases  of  a  similar  kind  are  very  common  on  many  of  the 
trees,  particularly  on  the  arbor  vitse,  larch,  and  hemlock,  which 
are  often  very  much  injured  by  the  insects  inhabiting  them. 
These  are  there  popularly  called  drop-ivorms  and  hasket-ivorms. 
,  We  have,  in  Massachusetts,  another  sack-bearer,  which  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  described,  and  differs  so  much  both 
from  Psyche  and  Oiketicus,  when  arrived  at  maturity,  as  to 
induce  me  to  give  it  another  generical  name.  I  therefore  call 
it  Perophora  Melsheimerii*  Melsheimer's  sack-bearer.  A  case 
of  this  insect,  containing  a  living  caterpillar,  was  brought  to 
me  towards  the  end  of  September,  by  a  student  of  Harvard 
College,  Mr.  H.  O.  White,  who  found  it  on  an  oak-tree  in 
Cambridge.  This  case  was  nearly  an  inch  and  a  half  long, 
and  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter.  It  was  not  regularly  oval, 
but  somewhat  flattened  on  its  lower  side.  It  consisted  exter- 
nally of  two  oblong  oval  pieces  of  a  leaf,  fastened  together  in 
the  neatest  manner  by  their  edges,  but  the  seams  made  a  little 
ridge  on  each  side  of  the  case ;  this  had  become  dry  and  faded, 
and  was  lined  within  with  a  thick  and  tough  layer  of  brownish 
silk,  in  which  there  was  left,  at  each  end,  a  circular  opening 
just  big  enough  for  the  caterpillar  to  pass  through.  The  cater- 
pillar was  cylindrical,  about  as  thick  as  a  common  pipe-stem, 
of  a  light  reddish  brown  color  with  a  paler  line  along  the 
back ;  it  was  rough  with  little  elevated  points ;  its  head  and 
the  top  of  the  first  ring  were  black,  hard,  and  rough  also.  The 
head  was  provided  with  a  pair  of  jointed  feelers,  which  the 


*  Named  in  honor  of  Dr.  F.  E.  Melshcimcr  (the  son  of  the  Rev.  F.  V.  Mcl- 
shcimer,  the  father  of  American  Entomology,  as  he  has  been  called),  from 
■whom  I  have  received  specimens  of  this  insect,  and  its  curious  case. 


320  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

insect  extended  and  drew  in  at  pleasure,  and  which,  when 
they  were  out,  were  kept  in  continual  motion.  On  each  side 
of  the  middle  of  the  head,  there  was  a  black  and  flexible  kind 
of  antenna,  very  slender  where  it  joined  the  head,  and  broader 
towards  the  end,  like  the  handle  of  a  spoon.  The  first  three 
pairs  of  legs  were  equal  in  length,  and  armed  with  stout  horny 
claws.  The  other  legs,  if  such  they  could  be  called,  were  ten 
in  number,  and  so  short  that  only  the  oval  soles  of  the  feet 
were  visible,  and  these  were  surrounded  by  numerous  minute 
hooks.  The  tail  end  of  the  body  was  as  blunt  as  if  it  had 
been  cut  off  with  a  knife;  it  sloped  a  little  backwards,  and 
consisted  of  a  circular  horny  plate,  of  a  dark  gray  color,  which, 
when  the  caterpillar  retired  within  its  case,  exactly  shut  up  one 
of  the  holes  in  it.  This  caterpillar  eat  the  leaves  of  the  oak, 
and  fed  mostly  by  night;  while  eating  it  came  half  way,  or 
more,  out  of  its  cocoon;  and  in  moving  laid  hold  of  the  leaf 
with  its  fore  legs,  and  then  shortened  its  body  suddenly,  so  as 
to  bring  its  cocoon  after  it  with  a  jerk ;  and,  in  this  way,  it 
went  by  jerks  from  place  to  place.  When  it  had  done  eating, 
it  moored  its  case  to  a  leaf  by  a  few  silken  threads  fastened  to 
one,  and  sometimes  to  both  ends;  and  before  moving  again, 
it  came  out  and  bit  off  these  threads  close  to  the  case.  Tt 
could  turn  round  easily  within  its  case,  and  go  out  of  either 
end,  as  occasion  required.  So  tenaciously  did  it  cling  to  the 
inside  of  its  case  with  the  little  hooks  of  its  hinder  feet,  that 
all  attempts  to  make  it  come  wholly  out,  except  by  a  force 
which  would  have  been  fatal  to  the  insect,  were  without  effect. 
This  kind  of  caterpillar  prepares  for  transformation  by  fasten- 
ing both  ends  of  its  cocoon  to  a  branch,  and  then  stops  up 
each  of  the  holes  in  it  with  a  little  circular  silken  lid,  exactly 
fitting  the  orifice,  and  made  about  the  thickness  of  common 
brown  paper.  There  is  no  great  difference  in  the  size  or  form 
of  the  chrysalids  which  produce  the  male  and  female  moths; 
they  are  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  length;  on  both  of 
them  the  sheaths  for  the  wings,  antennae,  and  legs,  are  alike, 
and  are  as  plainly  to  be  seen  as  on  the  chrysalids  of  other 
winged  moths.  The  chrysalis  tapers  very  little,  and  does  not 
end  with  a  point,  but  is  blunt  behind;  and  on  the  edge  of 


LEPIDOPTERA.  321 

each  of  the  ruigs  of  the  back,  there  is  a  transverse  row  of  little 
pointed  teeth  which  shut  into  corresponding  notches  in  the 
ring  immediately  behind  them.  These  teeth  are  evidently 
designed  to  enable  the  chrysalis  to  move  towards  the  mouth 
of  its  case,  and  to  hold  with,  when  it  is  enofaofed  in  forcinj;  off 
the  lid  in  order  to  allow  of  the  escape  of  the  moth,  I  do  not 
know  at  what  time  the  moths  come  out  in  Massachusetts; 
they  have  been  taken  in  July,  in  Virginia.  Botli  sexes  leave 
their  cocoons  when  arrived  at  maturity,  and  both  are  provided 
with  wings.  Their  feelers  are  of  moderate  size,  cylindrical, 
blunt-pointed,  and  thickly  covered  with  scales.  The  tongue 
is  not  visible.  Their  antennae  are  curved,  and  are  recurved  or 
bent  upwards  at  the  point;  the  stalk  is  feathered,  in  a  double 
row,  on  the  under  side,  very  widely  in  the  males,  for  more  than 
half  its  length,  and  beyond  the  middle  the  feathery  fringe  is 
suddenly  narrowed,  and  tapers  thence  to  the  tip ;  in  the  females 
the  antennae  are  also  doubly  feathered,  but  the  fringe  is  nar- 
rower throughout  than  in  the  oth^r  sex.  The  body  and  the 
wings  almost  exactly  resemble  those  of  the  foreign  silk-worm 
moth  in  shape;  but  the  fore  wings  are  rather  more  pointed  and 
hooked  at  the  tip.  There  are  no  bristles  and  hogks  to  hold 
together  the  wings,  which,  when  at  rest,  cover  the  sides  like  a 
sloping  roof,  and  the  front  edge  of  the  hind  wings  does  not 
project  beyond  that  of  the  fore  wings.  These  moths  are  of  a 
reddish  gray  color,  finely  sprinkled  all  over  with  minute  black 
dots;  the  posterior  margin  of  the  hind  wings  above,  and  the 
under  side  of  the  fore  wings,  especially  behind  the  tip,  are 
tinged  with  tawny  red;  there  is  a  small  black  dot  near  the 
middle  of  the  fore  wings ;  and  both  the  fore  and  hind  wings 
are  crossed  by  a  narrow  blackish  band,  beginning  with  an  angle 
on  the  front  edge  of  the  former,  and  passing  obliquely  back- 
wards to  the  inner  edge  of  the  hind  wings.  They  expand 
from  one  inch  and  three  eighths  to  two  inches,  or  a  little  more. 
The  last  family  of  the  Bombyces,  remaining  to  be  noticed, 
may  be  called  Notodontians  (Notouontad.e).  Many  of  the 
caterpillars  belonging  to  it  have  hunched  backs,  or  tooth-like 
prominences  on  the  back ;  and  hence  the  origin  of  the  name 
of  this  family,  which  comes  from  a  word  signifying  toothed 
41 


322  IXSECT3  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

back.  Most  of  these  caterpillars  arc  entirely  naked;  some  of 
them  are  downy,  or  slightly  hairy,  but  the  hairs  generally  grow- 
immediately  from  the  skin,  and  not  in  spreading  clusters  from 
little  warts  on  the  rings.  They  have  sixteen  legs;  some  raise 
the  last  pair  when  at  rest,  and  some  keep  these  always  elevated 
and  do  not  use  them  in  creeping,  in  which  case  these  terminal 
legs  are  lengthened,  and  form  a  forked  appendage  or  tail  to 
the  hinder  part  of  the  body.  Hence  such  caterpillars  are  often 
described  as  having  only  fourteen  legs,  although  the  wanting 
members  really  exist  in  a  modified  form.  Moreover  the  cater- 
pillars of  some  of  the  Notodontians  seem  to  be  without  legs, 
and  even  on  close  examination  only  the  soles  of  the  feet  can 
be  perceived.  The  Notodontians  are  found  chiefly  on  trees 
and  shrubs,  the  leaves  of  which  they  eat.  When  about  to  be 
transformed,  the  most  of  them  enclose  themselves  in  cocoons, 
which  are  often  very  hard  and  thick,  made  either  of  silk,  or  of 
silk  mixed  with  fragments  of  wood  and  bark ;  some  make 
thin,  semitransparent,  and  filmy  cocoons  under  a  covering  of 
leaves;  some  merely  cover  themselves  with  grains  of  earth, 
held  together  by  silken  threads;  and  a  very  few  go  into  the 
ground  to  transform,  without  making  cocoons.  The  chrysa- 
lids  taper  behind,  and  are  not  provided  with  transverse  notched 
ridges  on  the  back.  The  moths  close  their  wings  over  the 
sides  of  the  body  like  a  sloping  roof,  when  at  rest;  but  the 
front  edges  of  the  hind  wings  never  extend  beyond  those  of 
the  fore  wings,  and  the  bristles  and  hooks  for  holding  the 
wings  together,  arc  never  wanting.  The  antennae  are  rather 
long;  those  of  the  males  arc  generally  doubly  feathered  on 
the  under  side;  but  the  feathery  fringe  is  often  very  narrow 
towards  the  tips,  and,  in  the  females,  is  always  narrower  than 
in  the  other  sex;  in  a  few  of  both  sexes  the  antennoB  are  not 
feathered  at  all.  The  feelers  and  tongue,  though  short,  are 
generally  visible.  The  body  is  rather  long,  and  not  very  thick. 
In  what  follows,  a  few  only  of  the  most  remarkable  species 
will  be  described. 

Among  the  many  odd-shaped  caterpillars  belonging  to  this 
family,  not  the  least  remarkable  are  those  which  are  called 
LiMACODES,  that  is,  slug-like,  on  account  of  their  seeming  want 


LEPIDOPTERA.  323 

of  feet,  their  very  slow  gliding  motions,  and  the  slug-like  form 
of  some  of  tliem.  In  these  caterpillars  the  body  is  very  short 
and  thick,  and  approaches  more  or  less  to  an  oval  form;  it  is 
naked,  or,  in  some  kinds,  covered  only  with  short  down;  the 
head  is  small,  and  can  be  drawn  in  and  concealed  under  the 
first  ring;  the  six  fore  legs  are  also  small  and  retractile;  and 
the  other  legs  consist  only  of  little  fleshy  elevations,  without 
claws  or  hooks.  The  under  side  of  the  body  is  smeared  with 
a  sticky  fluid,  wdiich  seems  designed  to  render  their  footing 
more  secure,  and  leaves  a  slimy  track  wherever  the  insects  go. 
Their  cocoons  are  very  small,  almost  round,  tough,  and  parch- 
ment-like, and  are  fastened  to  the  twigs  of  the  plants  on  which 
the  insects  live.  The  moths  of  some,  if  not  of  all,  of  the  Lima- 
codes  make  their  escape  by  pushing  off  one  end  of  the  cocoon, 
which  separates  like  a  little  circular  lid. 

The  most  common  of  these  slug-caterpillars,  in  Massachu- 
setts, live  on  walnut-trees.  They  come  to  their  full  size  in 
September  and  October,  and  then  measure  five  eighths  of  an 
inch  in  length,  and  rather  more  than  three  eighths  across  the 
middle.  The  body  is  thick,  and  its  outline  nearly  diamond- 
shaped  ;  the  back  is  a  little  hollowed,  and  the  middle  of  each 
side  rises  to  an  obtuse  angle;  it  is  of  a  green  color,  with  the 
elevated  edges  brown.  The  boat-like  form  of  this  caterpillar 
induced  me  to  name  it  Limacodes  Scapha,ihe  skiff  Limacodes, 
in  my  Catalogue  of  the  "  Insects  of  Massachusetts."  My 
specimens  generaUy  died  after  they  had  made  their  cocoons, 
and  consequently  the  moth  is  unknown  to  me. 

The  moth  of  a  Limacodes,  called  Cippus*  by  Sir  J.  E.  Smith, 
is  sometimes  found  in  Massachusetts,  from  the  middle  of  July 
till  the  tenth  of  August.  It  is  of  a  reddish  brown  color;  on 
each  of  the  fore  wings  there  is  a  small  dark  brown  dot  near 
the  middle,  and  a  broad  wavy  green  band  beginning  at  the 
base,  and  bending  round  till  it  touches  the  front  margin  near 


*  Probably  not  the  true  Cippus  of  Fabricius,  which  is  found  in  Surinam. 
There  is  a  figure  of  our  species  in  Guerin's  "  leonographic  du  Regne  Animal," 
where  it  is  named  Limacodes  Delphinii,  but  for  -what  reason  I  know  not,  for  it 
does  not  live  on  the  Delphinium  or  larkspur. 


324  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  lip;  behind  a  deep  notch  of  this  band,  near  the  base  of  the 
wing,  there  is  a  triangular  tawny  spot,  and  another  smaller 
one  near  the  tip.  The  green  band  is  sometimes  broken  into 
three  triangular  green  spots,  the  middle  one  of  which  is  wanting 
in  some  specimens.  One  half  of  the  stalk  of  the  antenna;  of 
the  male  is  doubly  feathered  beneath ;  the  remainder  to  the 
tip  is  bare.  The  antennae  of  the  female  are  thread-like  and 
not  fringed.  The  wings  expand  from  one  inch  to  one  inch 
and  one  eighth.  The  caterpillar  figured  by  Mr.  Abbot*  is 
oblong  oval,  striped  with  purple  and  yellow,  with  twelve  fleshy 
horns,  of  an  orange  color,  on  the  sides  of  its  back,  namely  six 
on  the  fore  part,  two  on  the  middle,  and  four  on  the  hind  part 
of  the  body.  Mr.  Abbot  says  that  it  eats  the  leaves  of  the 
dogwood  [Cornus  Florida)^  oak,  and  of  other  trees;  that  it 
makes  its  cocoon  in  September,  and  that  the  moth  comes  out 
in  July. 

A  still  more  extraordinary  slug-caterpillar,  having  a  very 
remote  resemblance  to  the  last,  has  been  found  here  on  forest- 
trees,  and  occasionally  in  considerable  numbers  on  cherry-trees 
and  apple-trees,  from  July  to  September.  It  is  of  a  dark  brown 
color,  and  is  covered  with  a  short  velvet-like  down;  its  body  is 
almost  oblong  square,  but  the  sides  of  the  rings  extend  hori- 
zontally ill  the  form  of  flattened  teeth  ;  three  of  these  teeth  on 
each  side,  that  is,  one  on  the  fore  part,  the  middle,  and  the 
hind  part  of  the  body,  are  much  longer  than  the  others,  and 
are  curved  backwards  at  the  end.  When  fully  grown,  the 
caterpillar  measures  nearly  an  inch  in  length.  It  does  not 
bear  confinement  well,  and  often  dies  before  completing  its 
transformations.  Dr.  Melsheimer,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for 
one  of  the  moths,  informs  me  that  the  caterpillar  eats  the  leaves 
of  the  wild  cherry,  as  well  as  those  of  the  white  and  red  oak, 
that  it  makes  its  cocoon  about  the  middle  of  September, 
changes  to  a  chrysalis  the  following  April,  and  that  the  moth 
appears  in  about  eight  weeks  afterwards.  The  name  given  to 
this  insect  by  Sir  J,  E.  Smith  f  is  pithecium,  the  meaning  of 


*  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  145,  pi.  73. 

+  Abbot's  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  117,  pi.  74. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  325 

which  is  a  shrivelled  and  monkey-faced  old  woman,  bestowed 
upon  it  probably  on  account  of  the  shrivelled  appearance  and 
dark  color  of  the  caterpillar.  In  its  winged  state,  Limacodes 
pithccium,  or  the  hag-moth,  as  it  may  be  called,  is  of  a  dusky 
brown  color;  its  fore  wings  are  variegated  with  light  yellowish 
brown,  and  with  a  narrow  curved  and  wavy  band,  of  the  same 
light  color,  edged  externally  with  dark  brown  near  the  outer 
margin,  and  a  light  brown  spot  near  the  middle;  the  fringes 
of  all  the  wings  are  spotted  with  light  brown ;  the  legs  are 
covered  with  long  hairs;  the  antennte,  in  both  sexes,  are  slen- 
der, almost  thread-like,  and  not  feathered.  It  expands  from 
nearly  one  inch  to  one  inch  and  a  quarter. 

There  is  a  kind  of  caterpillar,  found  in  July  and  August  on 
the  balsam  poplar,  and  sometimes  on  other  poplars  and  wil- 
lows, whose  form,  posture,  and  motions  are  so  odd  as  at  once 
to  arrest  attention.  Its  body  is  naked,  short,  and  thick,  tapers 
behind  and  ends  with  a  forked  kind  of  tail,  which  is  held  up- 
wards at  an  obtuse  angle  with  the  rest  of  the  body.  This 
forked  tail,  which  takes  the  place  of  the  hindmost  pair  of  legs, 
the  others  being  only  fourteen  in  number,  is  not  used  with  the 
latter  in  creeping,  and  consists  of  two  movable  hollow  tubes, 
within  each  of  which  is  concealed  a  long  orange-colored  thread 
that  the  insect  can  push  out  and  draw  in  at  pleasure.  The 
feet  are  short  and  small;  the  head  is  small,  of  a  purple  color, 
and  can  be  drawn  under  the  front  part  of  the  first  ring;  the 
body  is  green,  with  a  triangular  purple  spot  on  the  top  of  the 
fore  part,  and  a  large  diamond-shaped  patch,  of  the  same  color, 
covering  the  back  and  middle  of  the  sides  like  a  mantle,  and 
prolonged  behind  to  the  tail.  When  young,  these  caterpillars 
have,  on  the  top  of  the  first  ring,  two  little  prickly  warts, 
which  disappear  after  one  or  two  changes  of  the  skin.  When 
teazed  by  being  touched  or  irritated  by  flies,  the  caterpillar 
runs  out  the  threads  from  its  forked  tail,  which  it  jerks  for- 
wards so  as  to  lash  the  sides  of  its  body  and  whip  off  the 
intruder.  When  fully  grown,  it  measures  sometimes  an  inch 
and  a  half  in  length,  without  including  the  terminal  fork. 
Caterpillars  of  this  kind  are  called  Cerura,  horned-tail,  by 
some,  and  Dicranura,  forked-tail,  by  other  naturalists.     Early 


326  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

in  August  the  one  above  described  makes  a  tough  cocoon  of 
bits  of  wood  and  bark  glued  together  with  a  sticky  matter,  and 
fastened  to  the  side  of  a  branch,  the  lower  side  being  flat  and 
the  u])j)or  convex.  Tlie  last  transformation  occurs  about  the 
middle  of  June,  when,  after  the  end  of  the  cocoon  has  been 
softened  by  a  liquid  thrown  out  by  the  insect  within,  the  moth 
forces  its  way  through.  This  insect  has  been  figured  in  Mr. 
Abbot's  work,*  where  it  is  called  furcida,  a  name,  however, 
which  belongs  to  an  European  insect.  It  is  also  represented 
in  Guerin's  "  Iconographie,"  and  in  Griffith's  translation  of 
Cuvier's  "Animal  Kingdom;"  and  I  have  adopted  the  specific 
name  given  to  it  by  Dr.  Boisduval  in  these  works.  Cerura 
burealis,  the  northern  Cerura  or  fork-tail  moth,  like  others  of 
the  genus,  has  the  antennae  feathered  in  both  sexes,  but  nar- 
row, and  tapering  and  bent  upwards  at  the  point;  the  legs, 
especially  the  first  pair,  which  are  stretched  out  before  the 
body  when  at  rest,  are,  like  those  of  our  native  Limacodes, 
very  hairy;  and  the  wings  are  thin  and  almost  transparent. 
The  ground-color  of  our  moth  is  a  dirty  white;  the  fore  wings 
are  crossed  by  two  broad  blackish  bands,  the  outer  one  of 
which  is  traversed  and  inlenupted  by  an  irregular  wavy  whitish 
line;  the  hinder  margins  of  all  the  wings  are  dotted  with  black, 
and  there  are  several  black  dots  at  the  base  and  a  single  one 
near  the  middle  of  the  fore  wings;  the  top  of  the  thorax  is 
blackish,  and  the  collar  is  edged  with  black.  In  some  indi- 
viduals the  dusky  bands  of  the  fore  wings  are  edged  or  dotted 
with  tawny  yellow;  in  others  these  wings  are  dusky,  and  the 
bands  are  indistinct.  They  expand  from  one  inch  and  three 
eighths  to  one  inch  and  three  quarters. 

The  following  insects,  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  may  be 
included  in  the  old  genus  Notodonta.  The  first  of  them  is 
found  in  August  and  September  on  plum  and  apple  trees,  and, 
according  to  Mr.  Abbot,f  on  the  red-berried  alder,  Prinos  verti- 
cillaius.  The  top  of  the  fourth  ring  of  this  caterpillar  rises  in 
the  form  of  a  long  horn,  sloping  forwards  a  little;  the  tail,  with 
the  hindmost  feet,  which  are  rather  longer  than  the  others,  is 

*  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  141,  pi.  71.      t  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  171,  pi.  86. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  327 

always  raised  when  the  insect  is  at  rest,  but  it  generally  uses 
these  legs  in  walking;  its  head  is  large,  and  of  a  brown  color; 
the  sides  of  the  second  and  third  rings  are  green;  tiie  rest  of 
the  body  is  brown,  variegated  with  white  on  the  back,  and  on 
it  there  are  a  very  few  short  hairs,  hardly  visible  to  the  naked 
eye.  When  fully  grown,  it  measures  an  inch  or  more  in  length. 
Though  mostly  solitary  in  their  habits,  sometimes  three  or  four 
of  these  caterpillars  are  found  near  together,  and  eating  the 
leaves  of  the  same  twig.  Towards  the  end  of  September  they 
descend  from  the  trees,  and  make  their  cocoons,  which  arc  thin 
and  almost  transparent,  resembling  parchment  in  texture,  and 
are  covered  generally  with  bits  of  leaves  on  the  outside.  The 
caterpillars  remain  in  their  cocoons  a  long  time  before  changing 
to  chrysalids,  and  the  moth  does  not  come  out  till  the  follow- 
ing summer.  There  are  probably  two  broods  in  the  course  of 
one  season,  for  I  have  taken  the  moths  early  in  August.  In 
Georgia  the  caterpillar  made  its  cocoon  on  the  thirtieth  of 
May,  and  was  transformed  to  a  moth  fourteen  days  afterwards. 
This  moth  is  the  Notodonta  unicornis,  or  unicorn  moth,  so  called 
from  the  horn  on  the  back  of  the  caterpillar.  The  fore  wings 
are  light  brown,  variegated  with  patches  of  greenish  white  and 
with  wavy  dark  brown  lines,  two  of  which  enclose  a  small 
whitish  space  near  the  shoulders;  there  is  a  short  blackish 
mark  near  the  middle ;  the  tip  and  the  outer  hind  margin  are 
whitish,  tinged  with  red  in  the  males;  and  near  the  outer  hind 
angle  there  are  one  small  white  and  two  black  dashes;  the 
hind  wings  of  the  male  are  dirty  white,  with  a  dusky  spot  on 
the  inner  hind  angle;  those  of  the  female  are  sometimes  en- 
tirely dusky;  the  body  is  brownish,  and  there  are  two  narrow 
black  bands  across  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax.  The  wings 
expand  from  one  inch  and  a  quarter  to  one  inch  and  a  half,  or 
nearly. 

Our  fruit-trees  seem  to  be  peculiarly  subject  to  the  ravages 
of  insects,  probably  because  the  native  trees  of  the  forest, 
which  originally  yielded  the  insects  an  abundance  of  food, 
have  been  destroyed  to  a  great  extent,  and  their  places  sup- 
plied only  partially  by  orchards,  gardens,  and  nurseries.  Nu- 
merous as  are  the  kinds  of  caterpillars  now  found  on  cultivated 


328  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

trees,  some  are  far  more  abundant  than  others,  and  therefore 
more  often  fall  under  our  observation,  and  come  to  be  better 
known.  Such,  for  instance,  are  certain  gregarious  caterj^illars 
that  swarm  on  the  apple,  cherry,  and  plum  trees  towards  the 
end  of  summer,  stripping  whoh;  branches  of  their  leaves,  and 
not  unfrequently  despoiling  our  rose-bushes  and  thorn  hedges 
also.  These  caterpillars  arc  of  two  kinds,  very  different  in 
appearance,  but  alike  in  habits  and  destructive  propensities. 
The  first  of  these  may  be  called  the  red-humped,  a  name  that 
will  probably  bring  these  insects  to  the  remembrance  of  those 
persons  who  have  ever  observed  them.  Different  broods  make 
their  appearance  at  various  times  during  August  and  Septem- 
ber. The  eggs,  from  which  they  proceed,  are  laid,  in  the 
course  of  the  month  of  July,  in  clusters  on  the  under  side  of  a 
leaf,  generally  near  the  end  of  a  branch.  When  first  hatched 
they  eat  only  the  substance  of  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  leav- 
ing the  skin  of  the  upper  side  and  all  the  veins  untouched ; 
but  as  they  grow  larger  and  stronger  they  devour  whole  leaves 
from  the  point  to  the  stalk,  and  go  from  leaf  to  leaf  down 
the  twigs  and  branches.  The  young  caterpillars  are  lighter 
colored  than  the  old  ones,  which  are  yellowish  brown,  paler  on 
the  sides,  and  longitudinally  striped  with  slender  black  lines ; 
the  head  is  red  ;  on  the  top  of  the  fourth  ring  there  is  a  bunch 
or  hump,  also  of  a  red  color ;  along  the  back  are  several  short 
black  prickles  ;  and  the  hinder  extremity  tapers  somewhat,  and 
is  always  elevated  at  an  angle  with  tlie  rest  of  the  body,  when 
the  insect  is  not  crawling.  The  full-grown  caterpillars  mea- 
sure one  inch  and  a  quarter,  or  rather  more,  in  length.  They 
rest  close  together  on  the  twigs,  when  not  eating,  and  some- 
times entirely  cover  the  small  twigs  and  ends  of  the  branches. 
The  early  broods  come  to  their  growth  and  leave  the  trees  by 
the  middle  of  August,  and  the  others  between  this  time  and 
the  latter  part  of  September.  All  the  caterpillars  of  the  same 
brood  descend  at  one  time,  and  disappear  in  the  night.  They 
conceal  themselves  under  leaves,  or  just  beneath  the  surface  of 
the  soil,  and  make  their  cocoons,  which  resemble  those  of  the 
unicorn  Notodonta.  They  remain  a  long  time  in  their  cocoons 
before  changing  to  chrysalids,  and  arc  transformed  to  moths 


LEPIDOPTERA.  329 

towards  the  end  of  June  or  the  beginning  of  July.  Mr.  Ab- 
bot* states  that  in  Georgia  these  insects  breed  twice  a  year, 
the  first  broods  making  their  cocoons  towards  the  end  of  May, 
and  appearing  in  the  winged  form  fifteen  days  afterwards. 
This  Notodonta  is  a  neat  and  trim  looking  moth,  and  is  hence 
called  concinna  by  Sir  J.  E.  Smith.  It  is  of  a  light  brown 
color;  the  fore  wings  are  dark  brown  along  the  inner  margin, 
and  more  or  less  tinged  with  gray  before ;  there  is  a  dark 
brown  dot  near  the  middle,  a  spot  of  the  same  color  near  each 
angle,  a  very  small  triangular  whitish  spot  near  the  shoulders, 
and  several  dark  brown  longitudinal  streaks  on  the  outer  hind 
margin  ;  the  hind  wings  of  the  male  are  brownish  or  dirty 
white,  with  a  brown  spot  on  the  inner  hind  angle;  those  of 
the  other  sex  are  dusky  brown ;  the  body  is  light  brown,  with 
the  thorax  rather  darker.  The  wings  expand  from  one  inch 
to  one  inch  and  three  eighths. 

Every  person  who  has  paid  any  attention  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  grape-vine  in  this  country  must  have  observed  upon  it, 
besides  the  large  sphinx  caterpillars  that  devour  its  leaves,  a 
small  blue  caterpillar  transversly   banded   with   deep  orange 
across  the  middle  of  each  ring,  the  bands  being  dotted  with 
black,  with  the  head  and  feet  also  orange,  the  top  of  the  elev- 
enth ring  somewhat  bulging,  and  the  fore  part  of  the  body 
hunched  up  when  the  creature  is   at  rest.     These  caterpillars 
begin   to   appear   about  the   middle   of  July,  and   others   are 
hatched  afterwards,  as  late,  perhaps,  as  the  middle  of  August. 
When  not  eating  they  generally  rest  upon  the   under  sides  of 
the  leaves,  and,  though  many  may  be  found  on  one  vine,  they 
do  not  associate  with  each  other.     They  live  on  the  common 
creeper  as  well  as  on  the  grape-vine.     They  eat  all  parts  of 
the  leaves,  even  to  the  midrib  and  stalks.     When  fully  grown, 
and  at  rest,  they  measure  an  inch  and  a  quarter,  but  stretch 
out,  in  creeping,  to  the  length  of  an  inch  and  a  half,  or  more. 
Towards  the  end  of  August  they  begin  to  disappear,  and  no 
more  will  be  found  on  the  vines  after  September.     They  creep 
down  the  vines  in  the  night,  and  go  into  the  ground,  burying 

*  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  169,  pi.  85. 

42 


330  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

themselves  three  or  four  inches  deep,  and  turn  to  chrysalids 
without  making  cocoons.  The  chrysalis  is  dark  brown,  and 
rough  with  elevated  points.  The  moths  begin  to  come  out  of 
the  ground  as  soon  as  the  twenty-fifth  of  June,  and  others  con- 
tinue to  appear  till  the  twentieth  of  July.  Though  of  small 
size,  they  are  very  beautiful,  and  far  surpass  all  others  of  the 
family  in  delicacy  of  coloring  and  design.  The  name  of  this 
moth  is  Eudryas  grata*  the  first  word  signifying  beautiful 
wood  nymph,  and  the  second  agreeable  or  pleasing.  The  an- 
tennae are  rather  long,  almost  thread-like,  tapering  to  the  end, 
and  not  feathered  in  either  sex.  The  fore  wings  are  pure 
white,  with  a  broad  stripe  along  the  front  edge,  extending  from 
the  shoulder  a  little  beyond  the  middle  of  the  edge,  and  a  broad 
band  around  the  outer  hind  margin,  of  a  deep  purple-brown 
color;  the  band  is  edged  internally  with  olive-green,  and 
marked  towards  the  edge  with  a  slender  wavy  white  line ; 
near  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  touching  the  brown  stripe, 
are  two  brown  spots,  one  of  them  round  and  the  other  kidney- 
shaped  ;  and  on  the  middle  of  the  inner  margin  there  is  a  large 
triangular  olive-colored  spot;  the  under  side  of  the  same  wings 
is  yellow,  and  near  the  middle  there  are  a  round  and  a  kidney- 
shaped  black  spot.  The  hind  wings  are  yellow  above  and 
beneath ;  on  the  upper  side  with  a  broad  purple-brown  hind 
border  on  which  there  is  a  wavy  white  line,  and  on  the  under 
side  with  only  a  central  black  dot.  The  head  is  black.  Along 
the  middle  of  the  thorax  there  is  a  broad  crest-like  stripe  of 
black  and  pearl-colored  glittering  scales.  The  shoulder-covers 
are  white.  The  upper  side  of  the  abdomen  is  yellow,  with  a 
row  of  black  spots  on  the  top,  and  another  on  each  side ;  the 
under  side  of  the  body,  and  the  large  muff-like  tufts  on  the  fore 
legs,  are  white ;  and  the  other  legs  are  black.  This  moth  rests 
with  its  wings  closed  like  a  steep  roof  over  its  back,  and  its 
fore  legs  stretched  forward,  like  a  Cerura.  It  expands  from 
one  inch  and  a  half  to  one  inch  and  three  quarters. 

Eudryas  iinio,  of  Ilubner,  the  pearl  Eudryas,  as  its  name 
implies,  is  a  somewhat  smaller  moth,  closely  resembling  the 

*  This  insect  is  the  Bombyx  grata  of  Pabricius. 


LEPIDOrXERA.  331 

preceding,  from  which  it  differs  in  having  the  stripe  and  band 
on  its  fore  wings  of  a  brighter  purple-brown  color,  the  round 
and  kidney-shaped  spots  contiguous  to  the  former  also  brown, 
the  olive-colored  edging  of  the  band  wavy,  with  a  powdered 
blue  spot  between  it  and  the  triangular  olive-colored  spot  on 
the  inner  margin,  and  a  distinct  brown  spot  on  the  inner  hind 
angle  of  the  posterior  wings  ;  all  the  wings  beneath  arc  broadly 
bordered  behind  with  light  brown,  and  the  spots  upon  them  are 
also  light  brown.  It  expands  from  one  inch  and  three  eighths 
to  one  inch  and  a  half.  This  species  has  been  taken  in  JMas- 
sachusetts,  but  it  is  rare,  and  the  caterpillar  is  unknown  to  me. 
In  the  remarks  preceding  the  description  of  Notodonta  con- 
cinna,  mention  was  made  of  two  kinds  of  caterpillars,  living  in 
great  numbers  on  fruit-trees  in  the  latter  part  of  summer.  The 
second  kind  are  now  to  be  described.  They  grow  to  a  greater 
size,  are  longer  in  coming  to  their  growth,  their  swarms  are 
more  numerous,  and  consequently  they  do  much  more  injury 
than  the  red-humped  kind.  Entire  branches  of  the  apple-trees 
are  frequently  stripped  of  their  leaves  by  them,  and  are  loaded 
w4th  these  caterpillars  in  thickly  crowded  swarms.  The  eggs 
from  which  they  are  hatched  will  be  found  in  patches,  of  about 
a  hundred  together,  fastened  to  the  under  side  of  leaves  near 
the  ends  of  the  twigs.  Some  of  them  begin  to  be  hatched 
about  the  twentieth  of  July,  and  new  broods  make  their 
appearance  in  succession  for  the  space  of  a  month  or  more. 
At  first  they  eat  only  the  under  side  and  pnlpy  part  of  the 
leaves,  leaving  the  upper  side  and  veins  untouched;  but  after- 
wards they  consume  the  whole  of  the  leaves  except  their  stems. 
These  caterpillars  are  sparingly  covered  with  soft  whitish  hairs; 
the  young  ones  are  brown,  and  striped  with  white;  but,  as  they 
grow  older,  their  colors  become  darker  every  time  they  cast 
their  skins.  They  come  to  their  full  size  in  about  five  weeks 
or  a  little  more,  and  then  measure  from  an  inch  and  three 
quarters  to  two  inches  and  a  quarter  in  extent.  The  head  is 
large,  and  of  a  black  color;  the  body  is  nearly  cylindrical,  with 
a  spot  on  the  top  of  the  first  ring,  and  the  legs  dull  orange- 
yellow,  a  black  stripe  along  the  top  of  the  back,  and  three  of 
the  same  color  alternating  with  four  yellow  stripes  on  each 


332  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

side.  The  posture  of  these  caterpillars,  when  at  rest,  is  very 
odd ;  both  extremities  are  raised,  the  body  being  bent,  and 
resting  only  on  the  four  intermediate  pairs  of  legs.  If  touched 
or  otherwise  disturbed,  they  throw  up  their  heads  and  tails 
with  a  jerk,  at  the  same  time  bending  the  body  semicircularly 
till  the  two  extremities  almost  meet  over  the  back.  They  all 
eat  together,  and,  after  they  have  done,  arrange  themselves 
side  by  side  along  tiie  twigs  and  branches  which  they  have 
stripped.  Begiiming  at  the  ends  of  the  branches  they  eat  all 
the  leaves  successively  from  thence  towards  the  trunk,  and  if 
one  branch  does  not  afford  food  enough  they  betake  them- 
selves to  another.  "When  ready  to  transform,  all  the  individuals 
of  the  same  brood  quit  the  tree  at  once,  descending  by  night, 
and  burrow  into  the  ground  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  inches, 
and,  within  twenty-four  hours  afterwards,  cast  their  cater- 
pillar-skins, and  become  chrysalids  without  making  cocoons. 
They  remain  in  the  ground  in  this  state  all  winter,  and  are 
changed  to  moths  and  come  out  between  the  middle  and  end 
of  July.  These  moths  belong  to  the  genus  Pygccra,  so  named 
because  the  caterpillar  sits  with  its  tail  raised  up.  The  an- 
tennae are  rather  long,  those  of  the  males  fringed  beneath,  in  a 
double  row,  with  very  short  hairs  nearly  to  the  tips,  which, 
however,  as  well  as  the  w^iole  of  the  stalk  of  the  antennae  in 
the  other  sex,  are  bare;  the  thorax  is  generally  marked  with  a 
large  dark-colored  spot,  the  hairs  of  which  can  be  raised  up  so 
as  to  form  a  ridge  or  kind  of  crest;  the  hinder  margin  of  the 
fore  wings  is  slightly  notched;  and  the  fore  legs  are  stretched 
out  before  the  body  in  repose.  Our  Pijgccra  was  named,  by 
Drury,  ministra,  the  attendant  or  servant.  It  is  of  a  light 
brown  color;  the  head  and  a  large  square  spot  on  the  thorax 
are  dark  chesnut-brown;  on  the  fore  wings  are  four  or  five 
transverse  lines,  one  or  two  spots  near  the  middle,  and  a  short 
oblique  line  near  the  tip,  all  of  which,  with  the  outer  hind 
margin,  are  dark  chesnut-brown.  One  and  sometimes  both  of 
the  dark  brown  spots  arc  wanting  on  the  fore  w4ngs  in  the 
males,  and  the  females,  which  are  larger  than  the  other  sex, 
frequently  have  five  instead  of  four  transverse  brown  lines. 
It  expands  from  one  inch  and  three  quarters  to  two  inches  and 
a  half. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  333 

I  have  seen  on  the  oak,  the  bh-ch,  the  black  walnut,  and  the 
hickory  treet^,  swarms  of  caterpillars  slightly  differing  in  color 
from  each  other,  and  from  those  above  described,  that  live  on 
the  apple  and  cherry  trees;  they  were  more  hairy  than  the 
latter,  but  their  postures  and  habits  appeared  to  be  the  same. 
Whether  they  were  all  ditlerent  species,  or  only  varieties  of 
the  ministra,  arising  from  difference  of  food,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  ascertain. 

The  cultivation  of  the  balsam  and  our  other  larsre-leaved 

O 

native  poplars  seems  to  have  been  neglected  of  late  years.  It 
is  true  that  these  trees  are  not  so  durable  and  so  valuable  as 
many  others;  but  we  sometimes  meet  with  noble  specimens  of 
them ;  and  the  rapidity  of  their  growth,  the  great  size  they 
attain  in  favorable  situations,  and  the  fine  shade  they  afford, 
are  qualities  not  to  be  overlooked  or  despised ;  nor  is  the  wood 
entirely  worthless,  either  as  fuel  or  in  the  arts.  If  these  trees 
are  planted  alternately  with  other  more  slow-growing  trees, 
we  shall  have  the  benefit  of  the  shade  and  shelter  of  the  former 
till  the  others  have  become  large  enough  to  fill  their  places. 
They  are  not  subject  to  be  attacked  by  canker-worms,  oak- 
caterpillars,  web-worms,  and  many  other  kinds  of  insects  that 
infest  our  ornamental  and  shade  trees  of  hardwood;  but,  unfor- 
tunately, they  suffer  too  often  from  insect  depredators  of  their 
own,  such  as  the  grubs  of  two  or  three  kinds  of  beetles,  which 
bore  into  their  trunks;  the  spiny  caterpillars  of  the  Antiopa 
butterfly  and  of  the  lo  moth,  the  fork-tailed  Cerura,  the  cater- 
pillar of  the  herald-moth,  and  another  kind  of  caterpillar  now 
to  be  described,  all  which  devour  the  leaves  of  these  trees. 
This  last  kind  of  caterpillar  is  found  in  little  swarms  on  the 
trees  from  the  last  of  July  to  the  beginning  of  October.  It 
does  not  raise  the  hinder  part  of  its  body  when  at  rest.  It  is 
nearly  cylindrical,  with  two  little  black  warts  close  together  on 
the  top  of  the  fourth  and  of  the  eleventh  rings.  There  are  a 
few  short,  whitish  hairs  thinly  scattered  over  the  body,  which 
is  pale  yellow,  with  three  slender  black  lines  on  the  back,  and 
a  broad  dusky  stripe,  also  marked  with  three  black  lines,  on 
each  side;  and  the  head,  fore  legs,  and  spiracles  are  black. 
When  fully  grown,  these  caterpillars  measure  about  an  inch 


334  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  a  half  in  IcMigth.  They  live  together,  in  swarms  of  twenty 
or  more  individuals,  in  a  nest  made  of  a  single  leaf  folded  or 
curled  at  the  sides,  and  lined  with  a  thin  web  of  silk.  An 
opening  is  left  at  each  end  of  the  nest;  through  the  lower  one 
the  dirt  made  by  the  insects  falls,  and  through  the  upper  one, 
which  is  next  to  the  leaf-stalk,  the  caterpillars  go  out  to  feed 
upon  the  leaves  near  to  their  nests.  When  young  they  some- 
times fold  up  one  side  of  a  leaf  for  a  nest,  and  eat  the  other 
half.  The  stalks  of  the  leaves,  to  which  their  nests  are  hung, 
become  covered  with  silk  from  the  threads  carried  along  by 
the  caterpillars  in  going  over  them;  and  these  threads  help  to 
secure  the  nests  to  the  branches.  They  eat  all  parts  of  the 
leaves  except  the  stalks  and  larger  veins,  and  frequently  strip 
long  shoots  of  their  foliage  in  a  very  few  days.  Towards  the 
end  of  September  or  early  in  October,  according  to  the  age  of 
the  different  broods,  they  descend  from  the  trees,  disperse,  and 
seek  a  shelter  in  crevices  or  under  leaves  and  rubbish  on  the 
ground,  where  they  make  their  cocoons.  These  are  thin, 
irregular,  silken  webs,  so  loosely  spun  that  the  insects  can  be 
seen  through  them ;  but  they  are  protected  by  their  situation, 
or  by  the  dead  leaves  and  other  matters  under  which  they  are 
made.  As  soon  as  the  cocoons  are  finished,  the  insects  become 
chrysalids,  and  remain  quiet  through  the  winter;  and  about  the 
middle  of  June,  or  somewhat  later,  they  are  transformed  to 
moths.  They  belong  to  the  genus  Clostera,  or  spinner,  so 
named  on  account  of  the  spinning  habits  of  the  caterpillars. 
The  antennse  are  narrowly  feathered  or  pectinated  in  both 
sexes;  the  thorax  has  an  elevated  crest  in  the  middle;  the  tail 
is  tufted  and  turned  up  at  the  end,  in  the  males ;  the  fore  legs 
are  thickly  covered  with  hairs  to  the  end,  and  are  stretched 
out  before  the  body  when  the  insect  is  at  rest.  Our  poplar 
spinner  may  be  called  Clostera  Americana,  the  American  Clos- 
tera. It  closely  resembles  the  European  anastomosis,  from 
which,  however,  it  differs  essentially  in  its  caterpillar  state, 
and  the  moth  presents  certain  characters,  which,  on  close  com- 
parison with  the  European  insect,  will  enable  us  to  distinguish 
it  from  the  latter.  It  is  of  a  brownish  gray  color;  the  fore 
wings  arc  faintly  tinged  with  pale  lilac,  and    more  or  less 


LEPIDOPTERA.  335 

clouded  with  rust-red;  they  have  an  irregular  row  of  blackish 
dots  near  the  outer  hind  margin,  and  are  crossed  by  tin-ec 
whitish  lines,  of  which  the  first  nearest  the  shoulders  is  broken 
and  widely  separated  in  the  middle,  the  second  divides  into 
two  branches,  one  of  which  goes  straight  across  the  wing  to 
the  inner  margin,  and  the  other  passes  obliquely  till  it  meets 
the  end  of  the  third  line,  with  which  it  forms  an  angle  or  letter 
V;  across  the  middle  of  the  hind  wings  there  is  a  narrow 
brownish  band,  much  more  distinct  beneath  than  above ;  on  the 
top  of  the  thorax  there  is  an  oblong  chcsnut-colored  spot,  the 
hairs  of  which  rise  upwards  behind  and  form  a  crest.  All  the 
whitish  lines  on  the  fore  wings  are  more  or  less  bounded  exter- 
nally with  rust-red.  It  expands  from  one  inch  and  one  quarter 
to  one  inch  and  five  eighths.  In  Georgia  this  insect  breeds 
twice  a  year;  and  the  caterpillars  eat  the  leaves  of  the  willow 
as  well  as  those  of  the  poplar.* 

2.   Owlet-moths.     {Noctuce.) 

Our  second  tribe  of  moths,  the  Nocture  of  Linnseus,  appears 
to  have  been  thus  named  from  Noctua,  an  owl,  because  they 
fly  chiefly  by  night,  and  are  hence  called  eulcn,  or  owl-moths 
by  the  Germans.  This  tribe  contains  a  very  large  number  of 
thick-bodied  and  swift-flying  moths,  most  of  which  may  be 
distinguished  by  the  following  characters.  The  antennae  are 
long  and  tapering,  and  seldom  pectinated  even  in  the  males ; 
the  tongue  is  long ;  the  feelers  are  very  distinct,  and  project 
more  or  less  beyond  the  face,  the  two  lower  joints  being  com- 
pressed or  flattened  at  the  sides,  and  the  last  joint  is  slender 
and  small ;  the  thorax  is  thick,  with  rather  prominent  collar 
and  shoulders,  and  is  often  crested  on  the  top ;  the  body  tapers 
behind ;  the  wings  are  always  fastened  together  by  bristles 
and  hooks,  are  generally  roofed,  when  at  rest,  and  each  of  the 
fore  wings  is  marked  behind  the  middle  of  the  front  margin 
with  two  spots,  one  of  them  round  and  small,  and  the  other 
larger  and   kidney-shaped.     A  few   of  them  fly  by  day,  the 

*  Sec  Phalana  anastomosis  of  Smith,  in  Abbot's  "Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  143, 
pi.  72. 


336  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

others  only  at  night.  Their  colors  are  generally  dull,  and  of 
some  shade  of  gray  or  brown,  and  so  extremely  alike  are  they 
in  their  markings,  that  it  is  very  difRcnlt  to  describe  them 
withotit  the  aid  of  figures,  which  cannot  be  expected  in  this 
treatise.  The  caterpillars  are  nearly  cylindrical,  for  the  most 
part  naked,  though  some  are  hairy,  slow  in  their  motions,  and 
generally  provided  with  sixteen  legs ;  those  with  fewer  legs 
never  want  the  hindmost  pair,  and  never  raise  the  end  of  the 
body  when  at  rest.  Some  of  them  make  cocoons,  but  the  rest 
go  into  the  ground  to  transform.  Many  of  the  Noctuas  vary 
more  or  less  from  the  characters  above  given,  and  the  tribe 
seems  to  admit  of  being  divided  into  several  smaller  groups  or 
families,  under  which  their  peculiarities  might  be  more  dis- 
tinctly pointed  out.  Unfortunately  the  history  of  most  of  our 
moths  is  still  imperfectly  known  ;  and,  for  this  reason,  as  well 
as  on  account  of  the  length  to  which  the  foregoing  part  of  this 
treatise  has  already  extended,  I  have  concluded  to  suppress  a 
considerable  portion  of  my  observations  on  the  owlet-moths 
and  the  rest  of  the  Lepidoptcra,  and  shall  confine  my  remarks 
to  a  few  of  the  most  injurious  species  in  each  of  the  remaining 
tribes. 

The  injury  done  to  vegetation  by  the  caterpillars  of  the 
Noctuas,  or  owlet-moths,  is  by  no  means  inconsiderable,  and 
sometimes  becomes  very  great  and  apparent;  but  most  of 
these  insects  are  concealed  from  our  observation  during  the 
day-time,  and  come  out  from  their  retreats  to  feed  only  at 
night.  To  turn  them  out  of  their  hiding-places  becomes 
sometimes  absolutely  necessary,  and  it  is  only  by  dear-bought 
experience  that  we  learn  how  to  discover  them.  This  is  not 
the  case  with  all ;  those  of  the  first  family,  which  I  would  call 
Acronyctians  (Acronyctad.e*),  live  exposed  on  the  leaves  of 
trees  and  shrubs.  They  have  sixteen  legs,  are  cylindrical,  and 
more  or  less  hairy,  some  of  thein  closely  resembling  those  of 
the  genus  Clostera,  having  a  wart  or  prominence  on  the  top  of 
the  fourth  and  the  eleventh  rings,  and  some  of  them  have  the 


*  From  Acronycta,  a  genus  of  moths  appearing  at  night-fall,  as  the  name  im- 
plies. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  337 

hair  in  tufts  like  Arctians  and  Liparians.  They  make  tough 
silken  cocoons,  in  texture  almost  like  stiff  brown  paper,  into 
which  they  weave  the  hairs  of  their  bodies.  Their  moths  have 
bristle-formed  antenncp,  and  the  thorax  is  not  crested.  Their 
fore  wings  are  generally  light  gray  with  dark  spots,  and  in 
many  are  marked  with  a  character  resembling  the  Greek  letter 
V  near  the  inner  hind  angle.  Of  those  that  want  this  charac- 
ter on  the  fore  wings,  the  largest  American  species,  known  to 
me,  may  be  called  Apatela  Americana,  which  has  been  mis- 
taken* for  Apatela  Aceris,  the  maple-moth  of  Europe.  Its 
body  and  fore  wings  are  light  gray ;  on  the  latter  there  is  a 
wavy,  scalloped  white  line  edged  externally  with  black  near 
the  outer  hind  margin,  and  the  usual  round  and  kidney-shaped 
spots  are  also  edged  with  black ;  the  hind  wings  are  dark  gray 
in  the  male,  blackish  in  the  female,  with  a  faintly  marked 
black  curved  band  and  central  semicircular  spot;  all  the  wings 
are  whitish  and  shining  beneath,  with  a  black  wavy  and  curved 
band  and  central  semicircular  spot  on  each ;  the  fringes  are 
white,  scalloped,  and  spotted  with  black.  It  expands  from  two 
inches  and  a  quarter  to  two  inches  and  a  half,  or  more.  This 
kind  of  moth  flies  only  at  night,  and  makes  its  appearance 
between  the  middle  and  the  end  of  July.  The  caterpillar  eats 
the  leaves  of  the  various  kinds  of  maple,  and  sometimes  also 
those  of  the  elm,  linden,  and  chestnut.  It  is  one  of  the  largest 
kinds ;  and,  early  in  October,  when  it  arrives  at  maturity, 
measures  from  one  inch  and  three  quarters  to  two  inches  or 
more  in  length.  It  is  of  a  greenish  yellow  color  above,  with 
the  head,  tail,  belly,  and  feet  black ;  its  body  is  covered  with 
long  and  soft  yellow  hairs,  growing  immediately  from  the 
skin  ;  on  the  top  of  the  fourth  ring  there  are  two  long,  slender, 
and  erect  tufts  of  black  hairs,  two  more  on  the  sixth  ring,  and 
a  single  pencil  on  the  eleventh  ring.f     While  at  rest,  it  re- 

•  See  PhaUsna  Aceris,  Smith,  in  Abbot's  "  Insects  of  Georgia,"  p.  185,  pi.  93. 

t  Those  naturalists,  who  are  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  the  European 
caterpillar  of  Apatela  Aceris,  will  perceive  the  great  and  essential  difference  be- 
tween it  and  that  of  our  American  Apatela,  which  bears  about  as  much  resem- 
blance to  the  former  as  does  that  of  Astasia  torrefacta,  of  Sir  J.  E.  Smith,  an 
insect  apparently  belonging  to  the  Notodontians,  and  near  to  Clostera  and  Py- 

43 


338  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

mains  curled  sidewise  on  a  leaf.  When  about  to  make  its 
cocoon  it  creeps  into  chinks  of  the  bark,  or  into  cracks  in 
fences,  and  spins  a  loose,  half-oval  web  of  silk,  intermixed  with 
the  hairs  of  its  body ;  under  this  it  then  makes  another  and 
tougher  pod  of  silk,  thickened  with  fragments  of  bark  and 
wood,  and,  when  its  work  is  done,  changes  to  a  chrysalis,  in 
which  state  it  remains  till  the  following  summer. 

The  caterpillars  of  the  Nonagrians  (Nonagriad.e*)  are 
naked,  long,  slender,  and  tapering  at  each  end,  smooth,  and 
generally  of  a  faint  reddish  or  greenish  tint,  with  an  oval,  dark 
colored,  horny  spotf  on  the  top  of  the  first  and  last  ring. 
Most  of  them  live  within  the  stems  of  reeds,  flags,  and  other 
water-plants ;  some  in  the  stems,  and  even  in  the  roots  of 
plants  remote  from  the  water.  They  devour  the  pith  and  the 
inside  of  the  roots,  and  transform  in  the  same  situations,  hav- 
ing previously  gnawed  a  hole  from  the  inside  of  their  retreat, 
through  the  side  of  the  stem  or  root  to  the  outside  skin,  which 
is  left  untouched,  and  which  the  moth  can  easily  break  through 
afterwards.  The  chrysalids  are  generally  very  long  and  cylin- 
drical, and  are  blunt  at  the  extremities.  Most  of  the  moths 
have  very  long  bodies,  a  smooth  thorax,  and  are  of  a  yellowish 
clay  or  drab  color;  the  fore  wings  want  the  usual  spots,  are 
faintly  streaked  and  dotted  with  black,  and  have  a  scalloped 
hind  margin.  Those  that  do  not  live  in  water-plants  are  dis- 
tinguished by  brighter  colors  of  orange-yellow  and  brown,  with 
the  usual  spots  more  or  less  distinct  on  the  fore  wings,  the 
margin  of  which  is  wavy ;  the  collar  is  prominent,  and  the 
thorax  crested.  In  all  of  them  the  antennae  of  the  males  are 
slightly  thickened  with  short  hairs  beneath. 

These  insects  are  fatal  to  the  plants  attacked,  the  greater 
part  of  which,  however,  are  without  value  to  the  farmer.  Indian 
corn  must  be  excepted ;  for  it  often  suffers  severely  from  the 

gara.  Apatela  signifies  deceptive ;  and  this  name  was  probably  given  to  the 
genus  because  the  caterpillars  appear  in  the  dress  of  Arctians  and  Liparians,  but 
produce  true  owlet-moths  or  Noctuas. 

*  From  Nonagria,  the  meaning  of  which  is  uncertain. 

t  These  dark  horny  spots  are  found  on  the  first  ring  of  most  of  the  caterpillars 
that  burrow  in  the  stems  of  plants,  or  in  the  ground. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  339 

depredations  of  one  of  these  Nonagrians,  known  to  our  farmers 
by  the  name  of  the  spindle-worm.  The  Rev.  L.  W.  Leonard 
has  favored  me  with  a  specimen  of  this  insect,  its  chrysalis, 
and  its  moth,  together  with  some  remarks  upon  its  habits ; 
and  the  latter  have  also  been  described  to  me  by  an  intelligent 
friend,  conversant  with  agriculture.  This  insect  receives  its 
common  name  from  its  destroying  the  spindle  of  the  Indian 
corn ;  but  its  ravages  generally  begin  while  the  corn-stalk  is 
young,  and  before  the  spindle  rises  much  above  the  tuft  of 
leaves  in  which  it  is  embosomed.  The  mischief  is  discovered 
by  the  withering  of  the  leaves,  and,  when  these  are  taken  hold 
of,  they  may  often  be  drawn  out  with  the  included  spindle. 
On  examining  the  corn,  a  small  hole  may  be  seen  in  the  side 
of  the  leafy  stalk,  near  the  ground,  penetrating  into  the  soft 
centre  of  the  stalk,  which,  when  cut  open,  will  be  found  to  be 
perforated,  both  upwards  and  downwards,  by  a  slender  worm- 
like caterpillar,  whose  excrementitious  castings  surround  the 
orifice  of  the  hole.  This  caterpillar  grows  to  the  length  of  an 
inch,  or  more,  and  to  the  thickness  of  a  goose-quill.  It  is 
smooth,  and  apparently  naked,  yellowish,  with  the  head,  the 
top  of  the  first  and  of  the  last  rings  black,  and  with  a  double 
row,  across  each  of  the  other  rings,  of  small,  smooth,  slightly 
elevated,  shining  black  dots.  With  a  magnifying  glass  a  few 
short  hairs  can  be  seen  on  its  body,  arising  singly  from  the 
black  dots.  This  mischievous  caterpillar  is  not  confined  to 
Indian  corn,  it  attacks  also  the  stems  of  the  Dahlia,  as  I  am 
informed,  both  by  Mr.  Leonard,  and  by  the  Rev.  J.  L.  Russell, 
both  of  whom  have  observed  its  ravages  in  the  stems  of  this 
favorite  flower.  It  has  also  been  found  in  the  pith  of  the  elder, 
and  the  same  species  of  moth  was  produced  from  it,  early  in 
August,  as  from  the  spindle-worm  of  corn.  The  chrysalis, 
which  is  lodged  in  the  burrow  formed  by  the  caterpillar,  is 
slender,  but  not  quite  so  long  in  proportion  to  its  thickness  as 
are  those  of  most  of  the  Nonagrians.  It  is  shining  mahogany- 
brown,  with  the  anterior  edges  of  four  of  the  rings  of  the  back 
roughened  with  little  points,  and  four  short  spines  or  hooks, 
turned  upwards,  on  the  hinder  extremity  of  the  body.  The 
moth  produced  from  this  insect  differs  from  the  other  Non- 


340  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  TEGETATION. 

agrians  somewhat  in  form,  its  fore  wings  being  shorter  and 
more  rounded  at  the  tip.  It  may  be  called  Gortyna*  Zecc,  the 
corn  Gortyna ;  Zea  being  the  botanical  name  of  Indian  corn. 
The  fore  wings  are  rust-red  ;  they  are  mottled  with  gray,  al- 
most in  bands,  uniting  with  the  ordinary  spots,  which  are  also 
gray  and  indistinct;  there  is  an  irregular  tawny  spot  near  the 
tip,  and  on  the  veins  there  are  a  few  black  dots.  The  hind 
wings  are  yellowish  gray,  with  a  central  dusky  spot,  behind 
which  are  two  faint,  dusky  bands.  The  head  and  thorax  are 
rust-red,  with  an  elevated  tawny  tuft  on  each.  The  abdomen 
is  pale  brown,  with  a  row  of  tawny  tufts  on  the  back.  The 
wings  expand  nearly  one  inch  and  a  half. 

In  order  to  check  the  ravages  of  these  insects  they  must  be 
destroyed  while  in  the  caterpillar  state.  As  soon  as  our  corn- 
fields begin  to  show,  by  the  withering  of  the  leaves,  the  usual 
signs  that  the  enemy  is  at  work  in  the  stalks,  the  spindle- 
worms  should  be  sought  for  and  killed ;  for,  if  allowed  to 
remain  undisturbed  until  they  turn  to  moths,  they  will  make 
their  escape,  and  we  shall  not  be  able  to  prevent  them  from 
laying  their  eggs  for  another  brood  of  these  pestilent  insects. 

A  worm,  or  caterpillar,  something  like  the  spindle-w^orm,  has 
often  been  found  by  farmers  in  potato-stalks ;  and  the  potato- 
rot  has  sometimes  been  ascribed  to  its  depredations.  On  the 
ninth  of  July,  1848,  one  of  these  caterpillars  was  brought  to 
me  in  a  potato-stalk  from  Watertown  ;  and,  on  the  fifth  of 
July,  1851,  I  found  another  within  the  stem  of  the  pig-weed, 
or  Chenopodium.  These  caterpillars  were  of  a  livid  hue,  faintly 
striped  with  three  whitish  lines  along  the  back.  Their  trans- 
formations have  not  yet  been  observed. 

The  roots  of  the  Columbine  are  attacked  by  another  cater- 
pillar belonging  to  this  family.  It  burrows  into  the  bottom  of 
the  stalk  and  devours  the  inside  of  the  roots,  which  it  injures 
so  much  that  the  plant  soon  dies.  One  of  these  caterpillars, 
which  was  found  in  July,  in  the  roots  of  a  fine  double  Colum- 
bine in  my  garden,  was  of  a  whitish  color,  with  a  few  black 


•*  Gortyna,  in  ancient  geography,  was  the  name  of  a  city  in  Crete,  so  called 
from  its  founder. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  341 

dots  on  each  of  the  rings,  a  brownish  head,  and  the  lop  of  the 
first  and  of  the  last  rings  blackish.  It  grew  to  the  length  of 
about  one  inch  and  a  quarter,  turned  to  a  chrysalis  on  the 
nineteenth  of  August,  and  came  out  a  moth  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  September.  The  moth  closely  resembles  the  Gorlijna 
jlavago  of  Europe,  but  is  sufficiently  distinct  from  it.  It  may 
be  called  Gortyna  Icucosfig'ma,  the  white-spot  Gortyna.  The 
fore  wings  are  tawny  yellow,  sprinkled  with  purple-brown  dots, 
and  with  two  broad  bands  and  the  outer  hind  margin  purple- 
brown  ;  there  is  a  distinct  tawny  yellow  spot  on  the  tip,  fol- 
lowed by  a  row  of  faint  yellowish  crescents  between  the 
brown  band  and  margin  ;  the  ordinary  spots  are  yellow,  mar- 
gined with  brown,  and  there  is  a  third  oval  spot  of  a  white 
color  near  the  round  spot.  The  hind  wings  are  pale  buff  or 
yellowish  white,  with  a  central  spot,  and  a  band  behind  it,  of 
a  brownish  color.  The  head  is  brown  ;  the  thorax  is  tawny 
yellow,  with  a  brown  tuft ;  and  the  edges  of  the  collar,  and  of 
the  shoulder-covers  are  brown.  The  wings  expand  rather 
more  than  one  inch  and  a  half.  I  have  what  appear  to  be 
varieties  of  this  moth,  expanding  one  inch  and  three  eighths, 
with  three  or  four  white  dots  around  the  kidney-spot,  and  the 
ordinary  round  spot  wholly  white. 

Numerous  complaints  have  been  made  of  the  ravages  of 
cut-worms  among  corn,  wheat,  grass,  and  other  vegetables,  in 
various  parts  of  the  country.  After  a  tiresome  search  through 
many  of  our  agricultural  publications,  I  have  become  con- 
vinced that  these  insects  and  their  history  are  not  yet  known 
to  some  of  the  very  persons  who  are  said  to  have  suflfered 
from  their  depredations.  Various  cut-worms,  or  more  properly 
subterranean  caterpillars,  wire-worms  or  luli,  and  grub-worms, 
or  the  young  of  May-beetles,  are  often  confounded  together  or 
mistaken  for  each  other;  sometimes  their  names  are  inter- 
changed, and  sometimes  the  same  name  is  given  to  each  and 
all  of  these  different  animals.  Hence  the  remedies  that  arc 
successful  in  some  instances  are  entirely  useless  in  others. 
The  name  of  cut-worm  seems  originally  to  have  been  given 
to  certain  caterpillars  that  live  in  the  ground  about  the  roots 
of  plants,  but  come  up  in  the  night,  and  cut  off  and  devour 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  tender  stems  and  lower  leaves  of  young  cabbages,  beans, 
corn,  and  other  herbaceous  plants.  These  subterranean  cater- 
pillars are  finally  transformed  to  moths  belonging  to  a  group 
which  may  be  called  Agrotidians  (Aguotidid.e),  from  a  word 
signifying  rustic,  or  pertaining  to  the  fields.  Some  of  these 
rustic  moths  fly  by  day,  and  may  be  found  in  the  fields,  es- 
pecially in  the  autumn,  sucking  the  honey  of  flowers ;  others 
are  on  the  wing  only  at  night,  and  during  the  day  lie  concealed 
in  chinks  of  walls  and  other  dark  places.  Their  wings  are 
nearly  horizontal  when  closed,  the  upper  pair  completely  cover- 
ing the  lower  wings,  and  often  overlapping  a  little  on  their 
inner  edges,  thus  favoring  these  insects  in  their  attempts  to 
obtain  shelter  and  concealment.  The  thorax  is  slightly  con- 
vex, but  smooth  or  not  crested.  The  antennae  of  the  males 
are  generally  beset  with  two  rows  of  short  points,  like  fine 
teeth,  on  the  under  side,  nearly  to  the  tips.  The  fore  legs  are 
often  quite  spiny.  Most  of  these  moths  come  forth  in  July 
and  August,  and  soon  afterwards  lay  their  eggs  in  the  ground, 
in  ploughed  fields,  gardens,  and  meadows.  In  Europe  it  is 
found  that  the  eggs  are  hatched  early  in  the  autumn,  at  which 
time  the  little  subterranean  caterpillars  live  chiefly  on  the  roots 
and  tender  sprouts  of  herbaceous  plants.  On  the  approach  of 
winter  they  descend  deeper  into  the  ground,  and,  curling  them- 
selves up,  remain  in  a  torpid  state  till  the  following  spring, 
when  they  ascend  towards  the  surface,  and  renew  their  de- 
vastations. The  caterpillars  of  the  Agrotidians  are  smooth, 
shining,  naked,  and  dark-colored,  with  longitudinal  pale  and 
blackish  stripes,  and  a  few  black  dots  on  each  ring ;  some  of 
them  also  have  a  shining,  horny,  black  spot  on  the  top  of  the 
first  ring.  They  are  of  a  cylindrical  form,  tapering  a  little  at 
each  end,  rather  thick  in  proportion  to  their  length,  and  are 
provided  with  sixteen  legs.  They  are  changed  to  chrysalids 
in  the  ground,  without  previously  making  silken  cocoons. 
The  most  destructive  kinds  in  Europe  are  the  caterpillars  of 
the  corn  rustic  or  winter  dart-moth  {Agrotis  segetum),  the 
wheat  dart-moth  {Ag-rotis  trUici),  the  eagle-moth  {Agrotis 
aquiliria),  and  the  turf  rustic  or  antler-moth  ( Charccas  grami- 


LEPIDOPTERA.  343 

nis*).  The  first  hvo  attack  both  the  roots  and  leaves  of  winter 
wheat ;  the  second  also  destroys  buckwheat ;  and  it  is  stated 
that  sixty  bushels  of  mould,  taken  from  a  field  where  they 
prevailed,  contained  twenty-three  bushels  of  the  caterpillars ; 
those  of  the  eagle-moth  occasionally  prove  very  destructive  in 
vineyards  ;  and  the  caterpillars  of  the  antler-moth  are  notorious 
for  their  devastations  in  meadows,  and  particularly  in  moun- 
tain pastures. 

The  habits  of  our  cut-worms  appear  to  be  exactly  the  same 
as  those  of  the  European  Agrotidians.  It  is  chiefly  during 
the  months  of  June  and  July  that  they  are  found  to  be  most 
destructive.  "Whole  corn-fields  are  sometimes  laid  waste  by 
them.  Cabbage-plants,  till  they  are  grown  to  a  considerable 
size,  are  very  apt  to  be  cut  off  and  destroyed  by  them.  Potato- 
vines,  beans,  beets,  and  various  other  culinary  plants  suffer  in 
the  same  way.  The  products  of  our  flower-gardens  are  not 
spared ;  asters,  balsams,  pinks,  and  many  other  kinds  of  flowers 
are  often  shorn  of  their  leaves  and  of  their  central  buds,  by 
these  concealed  spoilers.  Several  years  ago  I  procured  a  con- 
siderable number  of  cut-worms  in  the  months  of  June  and 
July.  Some  of  them  were  dug  up  among  cabbage-plants, 
some  from  potato-hills,  and  others  from  the  corn-field  and  the 
flower-garden.  Though  varying  in  length  from  one  inch  and 
a  quarter  to  two  inches,  they  were  fully  grown,  and  buried 
themselves  immediately  in  the  earth  with  which  they  were 
supplied.  They  were  all  thick,  greasy-looking  caterpillars,  of 
a  dark  ashen  gray  color,  with  a  brown  head,  a  blackish  horny 
spot  on  the  top  of  the  first  and  last  rings,  a  pale  stripe  along 
the  back,  and  several  minute  black  dots  on  each  ring.  They 
were  soon  changed  to  chrysalids,  of  a  shining  mahogany-brown 
color;  and  between  the  twentieth  of  July  and  the  fifteenth  of 
August  they  came  out  of  the  ground  in  the  moth  state.  Much 
to  my  surprise,  however,  these  cut-worms  produced  five  differ- 
ent species  of  moths ;  and,  when  it  was  too  late,  I  regretted 
that  they  had  not  been  more  carefully  examined,  and  compared 
together  before  their  transformation. 

*  See  "KoUar's  Treatise,"  pp.  9i,  102,  166,  and  136. 


344  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  largest  of  these  moths  may  be  called  Agrotis  telifera^ 
the  lance-rustic.  It  closely  resembles  Agrotis  suffusa,  the  dark 
sword-rustic  of  Europe.  The  fore  wings  are  light  brown, 
shaded  with  dark  brown  along  the  outer  thick  edge,  and  in  tiie 
middle  also  in  the  female;  these  wings  are  divided  into  three 
nearly  equal  parts  by  two  transverse  bands,  each  composed  of 
two  wavy  dark  brown  lines ;  in  the  middle  space  are  situated 
the  two  ordinary  spots,  together  with  a  third  oval  spot,  which 
touches  the  anterior  band;  these  spots  are  encircled  with  dark 
brown,  and  the  kidney-spot  bears  a  dark  brown  lance-shaped 
mark  on  its  hinder  part;  the  hindmost  third  of  the  wing  is 
crossed  by  a  broad  pale  band,  and  is  ornamented  by  a  narrow 
wavy  or  festooned  line,  and  several  small  blackish  spots  near 
the  margin.  The  hind  wings  are  pearly  white,  and  semitrans- 
parent,  shaded  behind,  and  veined  with  dusky  brown.  The 
thorax  is  brown  or  gray-brown,  with  the  edge  of  the  collar 
blackish.  The  abdomen  is  gray.  The  wings  expand  two 
inches  or  more. 

Another  of  these  moths  is  the  counterpart  of  the  cegua  and 
ag-ricola  of  Europe.  It  also  resembles  the  telifera  in  form,  but 
is  destitute  of  the  lance-shaped  spot  on  the  fore  wings;  and 
hence  I  liave  named  it  Agrotis  inermis,  the  unarmed  rustic- 
moth.  The  fore  wings  are  light  brown,  shaded  in  the  middle 
and  towards  the  hinder  margin  with  dusky  brown;  they  are 
crossed  by  four,  more  or  less  distinct,  wavy  bands,  each  formed 
of  two  blackish  lines;  the  kidney-spot  is  dusky;  and  there  are 
several  blackish  spots  on  the  outer  thick  edge  of  the  wing. 
The  hind  wings  are  pearly  white  in  the  middle,  shaded  behind 
and  veined  with  dusky  brown.  The  thorax  is  reddish  brown, 
with  the  collar  and  shoulder-covers  doubly  edged  with  black. 
The  abdomen  is  gray.     It  expands  two  inches. 

The  reaping  rustic  [Agrotis  inessoria)^  as  it  may  be  called, 
is  the  representative  of  the  corn-rustic  [Agrotis  segctvm)  of 
Europe.  The  fore  wings  are  reddish  gray,  crossed  by  five 
wavy  blackish  bands,  the  first  two  of  which,  and  generally  the 
fourth  also,  are  double;  the  two  ordinary  spots,  and  a  third 
oval  spot  near  the  middle  of  the  wing,  are  bordered  with  black. 
The  hind  wings  are  whitish,  becoming  dusky  brown  behind, 


LEPIDOPTERA.  345 

and  have  a  small  central  crescent  and  the  veins  dusky.  The 
head  and  thorax  arc  chinchilla-gray;  the  collar  is  edged  with 
black;  and  the  abdomen  is  light  brownish  gray.  It  expands 
one  inch  and  four  tenths. 

The  smallest  of  these  rustic  moths  may  be  called  Agrotis 
tessellata,  the  checkered  rustic.  It  probably  comes  near  to  the 
ocellina  and  aqvilina  of  Europe,  which,  however,  I  have  not 
seen.  The  fore  wings  are  dark  ash-colored,  and  exhibit  only  a 
faint  trace  of  the  transverse  double  wavy  bands;  the  two  ordi- 
nary spots  are  large  and  pale,  and  alternate  with  a  triangular 
and  a  square  deep  black  spot;  there  is  a  smaller  black  spot 
near  the  base  of  the  wing.  The  hind  wings  are  brownish 
gray  in  the  middle,  and  blackish  behind.  It  expands  one  inch 
and  one  quarter. 

The  fifth  species  I  am  assured  by  one  of  my  friends  is  the 
moth  of  the  cabbage  cut-worm.  It  agrees,  in  the  main,  with 
the  description  given  of  the  Phalccna  Noctua  devastator^  by  Mr. 
John  P.  Brace,  in  the  first  volume  of  Professor  Silliman's 
"American  Journal  of  Science;"  and  may  therefore  be  called 
Agi'otis  devastator.  It  somewhat  resembles  Dr.  Boisduval's 
figures  of  the  Agrotis  latens  of  Europe.  The  fore  wings  are 
of  a  dark  ashen  gray  color,  with  a  lustre  like  satin;  they  are 
crossed  by  four  narrow  wavy  whitish  bands,  which  are  edged 
on  each  side  with  black ;  there  is  a  transverse  row  of  white 
dots  followed  by  a  row  of  black,  arrow-shaped  spots,  between 
the  third  and  fourth  bands,  and  three  white  dots  on  the  outer 
edge  near  the  tip;  the  ordinary  spots  are  edged  with  black  and 
white,  and  there  is  a  third  spot,  of  an  oval  shape  and  blackish 
color,  near  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  touching  the  second 
band.  The  hind  wings  are  light  brownish  gray,  almost  of  a 
dirty  white  in  the  middle,  and  dusky  behind.  The  iiead  and 
thorax  are  chinchilla-gray;  and  the  abdomen  is  colored  like 
the  hind  wings.  It  expands  from  one  inch  and  five  eighths  to 
one  inch  and  three  quarters.  This  kind  of  moth  is  very  com- 
mon betAveen  the  tenth  of  July  and  the  middle  of  August. 
Like  all  the  foregoing  species,  it  flies  only  at  night.  Accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Brace,  this  moth  lays  its  eggs  in  the  beginning  of 
autumn,  at  the  roots  of  trees,  and  near  the  ground;  the  eggs 
44 


346  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

are  hatched  early  in  May;  the  cut-worms  continue  their  depre- 
dations about  four  weeks,  then  cast  their  skin  and  become 
pupae  or  chrysalids  in  the  earth,  a  few  inches  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground ;  the  pupa  state  lasts  four  weeks,  and  the  moth 
comes  out  about  the  middle  of  July;  it  conceals  itself  in  the 
crevices  of  buildings  and  beneath  the  bark  of  trees,  and  is 
never  seen  during  the  day;  about  sunset  it  leaves  its  hiding- 
place,  is  constantly  on  the  wing,  is  very  troublesome  about  the 
candles  in  houses,  Hies  rapidly,  and  is  not  easily  taken.*  From 
what  is  known  respecting  the  history  of  the  other  kinds  of 
Agrotis,  and  from  the  size  that  the  cabbage  cut-worms  are 
found  to  have  attained  in  May,  I  am  led  to  infer  that  they 
must  generally  be  hatched  in  the  previous  autumn,  and  that, 
after  feeding  awhile  on  such  food  as  they  can  find  immediately 
under  the  surface  of  the  soil,  they  descend  deeper  into  the 
ground  and  remain  curled  up,  in  little  cavities  which  each  one 
makes  for  itself  in  the  earth,  till  the  following  spring. 

Dr.  F.  E.  Melsheimer,  of  Dover,  Pennsylvania,  has  favored 
me  with  the  wing  of  a  moth,  which  he  states  is  produced  from 
the  corn  cut-worm.  The  following  remarks  on  this  insect  are 
extracted  from  his  letters.  "  There  are  several  species  of 
Agrotis,  the  larvae  of  which  are  injurious  to  culinary  plants; 
but  the  chief  culprit  with  us  is  the  same  as  that  which  is 
destructive  to  young  maize."  "  The  corn  cut- worms  make 
their  appearance  in  great  numbers  at  irregular  periods,  and 
confine  themselves  in  their  devastations  to  no  particular  vege- 
tables, all  that  are  succulent  being  relished  by  these  indiscrim- 
inate devourers;  but,  if  their  choice  is  not  limited,  they  prefer 
maize  plants  when  not  more  than  a  few  inches  above  the 
earth,  early  sown  buckwheat,  young  pumpkin-plants,  young 
beans,  cabbage-plants,  and  many  other  field  and  garden  vege- 
tables." "  When  first  disclosed  from  the  eggs  they  subsist 
on  the  various  grasses.  They  descend  in  the  ground  on  the 
approach  of  severe  frosts,  and  reaj)pear  in  the  spring  about 
half  grown.  They  seek  their  food  in  the  night  or  in  cloudy 
weather,  and  retire  before  sunrise  into  the  ground,  or  beneath 


*  "  American  Journal  of  Science,"  Vol.  I.,  j).  154. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  347 

stones  or  any  substance  which  can  shelter  them  from  the  rays 
of  the  sun;  here  they  remain  coiled  up  during  the  day,  except 
while  devouring  the  food  which  they  generally  drag  into  their 
places  of  concealment.  Their  transformation  to  pupa?  occurs 
at  different  periods,  sometimes  earlier,  sometimes  later,  accord- 
ing to  the  forwardness  of  the  season,  but  usually  not  much 
later  than  the  middle  of  July."  "  The  moths,  as  well  as  the 
larvae,  vary  much  in  the  depth  of  their  color,  from  a  pale  ash 
to  a  deep  or  obscure  brown.  The  ordinary  spots  of  the  upper 
wings  of  the  moth-  are  always  connected  by  a  blackish  line  ; 
where  the  color  is  of  the  deepest  shade  these  spots  are  scarcely 
Adsible,  but  when  the  color  is  lighter  they  are  very  obvious." 
Since  the  foregoing  was  written,  1  have  repeatedly  obtained 
the  same  moths  from  cut-worms  here.  The  latter  seem,  in- 
deed, to  be  the  most  common  kind;  but  they  differ  very  little 
from  the  cut-worms  already  described.  They  vary  somewhat 
in  color,  as  remarked  by  Dr.  Melsheimer.  Young  ones  are 
always  more  or  less  distinctly  marked  above  with  pale  and 
dark  stripes,  and  are  uniformly  paler  below.  The  moth  is 
very  abundant  in  the  New  England  States,  from  the  middle 
of  June  till  the  middle  or  end  of  August.  The  fore  win^s  are 
generally  of  a  dark  ash-color,  with  only  a  very  faint  trace  of 
the  double  transverse  wavy  bands  that  are  found  in  most  spe- 
cies of  Agroiis;  the  two  ordinary  spots  are  small  and  narrow, 
the  anterior  spot  being  oblong  oval,  and  connected  with  the 
oblique  kidney-shaped  spot,  by  a  longitudinal  black  line.  The 
hind  wings  are  dirty  brownish  white,  somewhat  darker  behind. 
The  head,  the  collar,  and  the  abdomen  are  chestnut-colored. 
It  expands  one  inch  and  three  quarters.  The  wings,  when 
shut,  overlap  on  their  inner  edges,  and  cover  the  top  of  the 
back  so  flatly  and  closely  that  these  moths  can  get  into  very 
narrow  crevices.  During  the  day  they  lie  hidden  under  the 
bark  of  trees,  in  the  chinks  of  fences,  and  even  under  the  loose 
clapboards  of  buildings.  When  the  blinds  of  our  houses  are 
opened  in  the  morning,  a  little  swarm  of  these  insects,  which 
had  crept  behind  them  for  concealment,  is  sometimes  exposed, 
and  suddenly  aroused  from  their  daily  slumber.  This  kind  of 
moth  has  the  form  and  general  appearance  of  some  species  of 


348  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Pyrophila,  but  not  the  essential  characters  of  the  genus.  It 
differs  also  from  Ag-rotis  and  Graphiphora  in  some  respects, 
and  therefore  I  have  thought  it  best  to  leave  it,  for  the  present, 
in  the  old  genus  Noctiia,  under  the  specific  name  of  dandestina, 
the  clandestine  owlet-moth. 

Among  the  various  remedies  that  have  been  proposed  for 
preventing  the  ravages  of  cut-worms  in  wheat  and  corn  fields, 
may  be  mentioned  the  soaking  of  the  grain,  before  planting, 
in  copperas-water  and  other  solutions  supposed  to  be  dis- 
agreeable to  the  insects ;  rolling  the  seed  in  lime  or  ashes ; 
and  mixing  salt  with  the  manure.  These  may  prevent  wire- 
worms  [Iiili)  and  some  insects  from  destroying  the  seed;  but 
cut-worms  prey  only  on  the  sprouts  and  young  stalks,  and  do 
not  eat  the  seeds.  Such  stimulating  applications  may  be  of 
some  benefit,  by  promoting  a  more  rapid  and  vigorous  growth 
of  the  grain,  by  which  means  the  sprouts  will  the  sooner  be- 
come so  strong  and  rank  as  to  resist  or  escape  the  attacks  of 
the  young  cut-worms.  Fall-ploughing  of  sward-lands,  which 
are  intended  to  be  sown  with  wheat  or  planted  with  corn  the 
year  following,  will  turn  up  and  expose  the  insects  to  the 
inclemency  of  winter,  whereby  many  of  them  will  be  killed, 
and  will  also  bring  them  within  reach  of  insect-eating  birds. 
But  this  seems  to  be  a  doubtful  remedy,  against  which  many 
objections  have  been  urged.*  The  only  effectual  remedy  at 
present  known,  has  been  humorously  described  by  Mr.  Asahel 
Footc  in  the  "  Albany  Cultivator,"  and  reprinted  in  the  seven- 
teenth volume  of  the  "  New  England  Farmer."  After  having 
lost  more  than  a  tenth  part  of  the  corn  in  his  field,  he  "  ordered 
his  men  to  prepare  for  war,  to  sharpen  their  finger  ends,  and 
set  at  once  about  exhuming  the  marauders.  For  several  days 
it  seemed  as  if  a  whole  procession  came  to  each  one's  funeral, 
but  at  length  victory  wreathed  the  brow  of  perseverance;  and, 
the  precaution  having  been  taken  to  replace  each  foe  dislodged 
with  a  suitable  quantity  of  good  seed-corn,  he  soon  had  the 
pleasure  to  sec  his  field  restored,  in  a  good  measure,  to  its 
original  order  and  beauty,  there  being  seldom  a  vacancy  in  a 

*  See  Mr.  Colman's  "  Third  Report  of  the  Agriculture  of  Massachusetts,"  p.  62. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  349 

piece  of  four  acres."  Mr.  Foote's  statement,  founded  on  an 
estimate  of  the  time  employed  in  digging  up  and  killing  the 
cut-worms,  and  the  increased  produce  of  the  field,  is  conclusive 
in  favor  of  this  mode  of  checking  the  ravages  of  these  insects. 

Mr.  Deane  states  that  he  "once  prevented  the  depredations 
of  cvit-worms  in  his  garden  by  manuring  the  soil  with  sea-mud. 
The  plants  generally  escaped,  though  every  one  was  cut  off  in 
a  spot  of  ground  contiguous."  He  acknowledges,  however, 
that  "the  most  effectual,  and  not  a  laborious  remedy,  even  in 
field-culture,  is  to  go  round  every  morning,  and  open  the  earth 
at  the  foot  of  the  plant,  and  you  will  never  fail  to  find  the 
worm  at  the  root,  within  four  inches.  Kill  him,  and  you  will 
save  not  only  the  other  plants  of  your  field,  but,  probably, 
many  thousands  in  future  years."  Mr.  Preston,  of  Stockport, 
Pennsylvania,  protected  his  cabbage-plants  from  cut-worms  by 
wrapping  a  walnut  or  hickory  leaf  around  the  stem,  between 
the  roots  and  leaves,  before  planting  it  in  the  ground.  The 
late  Honorable  Oliver  Fiske,  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts, 
says,  that  "to  search  out  the  spoiler,  and  kill  him,  is  the  very 
best  course ;  but,  as  his  existence  is  not  known  except  by  his 
ravages,  I  make  a  fortress  for  my  cabbage-plants  with  paper, 
winding  it  conically  and  firmly  above  the  root,  and  securing  it 
by  a  low  embankment  of  earth." 

In  the  summer  of  1851,  one  of  our  agricultural  newspapers 
contained  an  account  of  certain  naked  caterpillars,  that  came 
out  of  the  ground  in  the  night,  and,  crawling  up  the  trunks  of 
fruit-trees,  devoured  the  leaves,  and  returned  to  conceal  them- 
selves in  the  ground  before  morning.*  Perhaps  these  depre- 
dators were  the  same  as  the  following.  Roses,  currant-bushes, 
and  other  shrubs,  and  even  young  trees,  often  lose  their  tender 
shoots,  by  having  them  cut  off  and  devoured  during  the  night. 
This  is  the  work  of  a  naked  caterpillar,  which  generally  grows 
to  a  larger  size  than  the  common  cut-worm,  and,  hke  the  latter, 
may  be  found  by  digging  at  the  root  of  the  plant.  One  of 
these  spoilers,  which  was  turned  out  of  his  burrow  early  in 
June,  measured  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length.     His  body  was 


*  See  Massachusetts  Ploughman,  for  June  28,  1851. 


350  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

livid  or  brownish  and  shining  above,  with  a  chestnut-colored 
head,  and  a  horny  spot  of  the  same  color  on  the  top  of  the 
first  and  last  rings.  A  few  minute  dots,  producing  very  short 
inconspicuous  hairs,  were  regularly  disposed  upon  his  body. 
This  caterpillar  changed  to  a  chrysalis  in  the  ground,  and  was 
transformed  to  a  moth  on  the  first  of  July.  The  moth  very 
often  enters  houses  in  the  evening,  during  the  months  of  July 
and  August,  and,  in  its  restrained  flight,  keeps  bobbing  against 
the.  ceiling  and  walls.  When  it  alights,  it  sits  with  its  wings 
sloping  in  the  form  of  a  steep  roof.  It  is  easily  distinguished 
by  its  Spanish  brown  upper  wings,  marked  with  a  large  pale 
kidney-spot,  and  a  broad  wavy  blue-gray  band  near  the  end. 
Its  eyes  when  living  shine  like  coals  of  fire.  It  has  been 
described  by  mistake  as  a  British  species,  under  the  name  of 
Hadena  arnica,  or  the  barred  arches-moth.  The  wings  of  this 
moth  expand  an  inch  and  three  quarters,  or  more,  and  are 
proportionally  broader  than  those  of  the  cut-worm  moths. 
The  general  color  of  the  fore  wings,  as  already  stated,  is  deep 
Spanish  brown,  variegated  with  gray.  The  small  ordinary 
oval  spot  is  marked  by  a  gray  border.  The  kidney-spot  is 
large,  gray,  and  very  conspicuous.  There  is  a  broad  wavy 
band  of  a  pearl-gray  or  blue-gray  color  near  the  outer  hind 
margin,  and  a  narrow  wavy  band  between  the  oval  spot  and 
shoulder.  The  hind  wings  are  pale  ash-colored,  shaded  behind 
with  brown,  having  a  pale  border,  and  a  distinct  central  black- 
ish spot  beneath.  The  head  and  thorax  are  dark  brown;  the 
collar  and  tips  of  the  shoulder-covers  are  edged  with  rust-red; 
and  the  hind  body  is  ash-colored  or  pale  brown,  with  a  row  of 
four  rust-red  tufts  upon  it.  This  common  moth  belongs  to 
the  same  group  or  family  as  the  following  species,  though 
differing  therefrom  in  its  caterpillar  state. 

There  is  another  naked  caterpillar  which  is  often  found  to 
be  injurious  to  cabbages,  cauliflowers,  spinach,  beets,  and  other 
garden  vegetables  with  succulent  leaves.  It  does  not  conceal 
itself  in  the  ground,  but  lives  exposed  on  the  leaves  of  the 
plants  which  it  devours.  When  disturbed,  it  coils  its  body 
spirally.  It  is  of  a  light  yellow  color,  with  three  broad,  longi- 
tudinal, black  stripes,  one  on  each  side  and  the  third  on  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  351 

top  of  the  back;  and  the  head,  belly,  and  feet  are  tawny. 
The  lateral  black  stripe  is  worthy  of  attentive  examination. 
It  consists  of  numerous  transverse  black  marks,  somewhat  like 
Runic  letters,  on  a  pure  w^hite  ground;  but  the  white  ground, 
when  seen  without  a  glass,  seems  blue,  by  contrast  with  the 
black  characters.  Dr.  JVIelsheimer  calls  this  the  zebra-caterpillar, 
on  account  of  its  stripes.  It  comes  to  its  full  size  here  in 
September,  and  then  measures  about  two  inches  in  length. 
Early  in  October  it  leaves  off  eating,  goes  into  the  ground, 
changes  to  a  shining  brown  chrysalis,  and  is  transformed  to  a 
moth  about  the  first  of  June.  It  is  probable  that  there  are 
two  broods  of  this  kind  of  caterpillar  every  summer,  in  some, 
if  not  all  parts  of  this  country;  for  Dr.  Melsheimer  informs 
me  that  it  appears  in  Pennsylvania  in  June,  goes  into  the 
ground  and  is  changed  to  a  chrysalis  towards  the  end  of  June 
or  the  beginning  of  July,  and  comes  forth  in  the  moth  state 
near  the  end  of  August.  The  moth  may  be  called  Mamestra 
picta,  the  painted  Mamestra,  in  allusion  both  to  the  beautiful 
tints  of  the  caterpillar,  and  to  the  softly  blended  shades  of 
dark  and  light  brown  with  which  the  fore  wings  of  the  moth 
are  colored.  It  is  of  a  light  brown  color,  shaded  with  purple 
brown;  the  ordinary  spots  on  the  fore  wings,  ^vith  a  third  oval 
spot  behind  the  round  one,  are  edged  with  gray;  and  there  is 
a  transverse  zigzag  gray  line,  forming  a  distinct  W  in  the 
middle,  near  the  outer  hind  margin.  The  hind  wings  are 
white,  and  faintly  edged  with  brown  around  the  tip.  It  is 
evident  that  this  insect  cannot  be  included  in  either  of  the 
foregoing  groups  of  the  owlet-moths.  It  belongs  to  a  distinct 
family,  which  may  be  called  JVL^mestradje,  or  INlamestrians. 
The  caterpillars  in  this  group  are  generally  distinguished  by 
their  bright  colors;  they  live  more  or  less  exposed  on  the  leaves 
of  plants,  and  transform  in  the  ground.  The  moths  ily  by 
night  only;  most  of  them  have  the  thorax  slightly  crested; 
and  they  are  easily  known  by  the  zigzag  line,  near  the  outer 
hind  margin  of  the  fore  wings,  formhig  a  W  or  i\l  iji  the  middle. 
As  the  caterpillar  of  the  painted  Mamestra  does  not  seek 
concealment,  it  may  easily  be  found,  and  destroyed  by  hand. 


352  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

There  is  a  small  caterpillar  which  has  been  found  injurious 
to  the  wheat-crop  in  England,  by  eating  the  grain  before  and 
after  it  is  ripe.  It  is  described  and  figured  by  JMr.  John  Cur- 
tis, in  the  fifth  volume  of  the  "Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricul- 
tural Society  of  England,"  (pp.  477-481).  Though  unable  to 
rear  any  of  these  caterpillars,  which  always  shrivelled  up  and 
died,  Mr.  Curtis,  for  reasons  stated  by  him,  was  impressed 
with  the  conviction  that  they  were  produced  by  a  moth,  called 
Noctna  {Carodrina)  cubicufaris.  Our  agricultural  newspapers 
contain  accounts  of  certain  caterpillars,  much  like  the  fore- 
going in  appearance  and  in  habits,  which  devour  the  grains  of 
wheat  while  growing  and  after  being  harvested.  Their  trans- 
formations have  not  been  ascertained;  and,  on  account  of  the 
diminutive  size  of  these  caterpillars,  it  remains  uncertain 
whether  they  are  the  offspring  of  any  species  of  Noctua. 
Nevertheless,  this  seems  to  be  the  most  suitable  place  to 
record  what  has  been  said  and  seen  of  them.  They  have 
been  called  wheat-worms,  gray  worms,  and  brown  weevils ; 
and,  although  these  different  names  may  possibly  refer  to  two 
or  more  distinct  species,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  all  of 
them  are  intended  for  only  one  kind  of  insect.  The  name  of 
grain-worms  has  likewise  sometimes  been  applied  to  them  ; 
whereby  it  becomes  somewhat  difficult  to  separate  the  accounts 
of  their  history  and  depredations  from  those  of  the  wheat- 
insect,  called  Cecidomyia  Trilici.  It  may,  however,  very  safely 
be  asserted  that  the  wheat-worm  of  the  western  part  of  New 
York  and  of  the  northern  part  of  Pennsylvania  is  entirely 
distinct  from  the  maggots  of  our  wheat-fly,  and  that  it  does 
not  belong  to  the  same  order  of  insects.  Mr.  Willis  Gaylord 
described  this  depredator  as  a  kind  of  caterpillar,  or  span- 
worm,  from  three  to  five  eighths  of  an  inch  long,  of  a  yellowish 
brown  or  butternut  color,  provided  with  twelve  legs,  and 
having  the  power  of  spinning  and  suspending  itself  by  a 
thread.  He  stated  that  it  fed  not  only  on  the  kernel  in  the 
milky  state,  but  also  devoured  the  germinating  end  of  the 
ripened  grain,  without,  however,  burying  itself  within  the  hull; 
and  that  it  was  found,  in  great  numbers,  in  the  chaff,  when 


LEPIDOPTERA.  353 

the  grain  was  threshed.  According  to  him,  it  had  been  known 
for  years  in  the  western  part  of  New  York ;  and  it  was  not  so 
much  the  new  appearance  of  the  insect,  as  its  increase,  which 
had  caused  alarm  respecting  it.*  Mr.  Nathaniel  Sill,  of  War- 
ren, Pennsylvania,  has  given  a  somewhat  different  description 
of  it.f  On  threshing  his  winter-wheat,  immediately  after  har- 
vest, he  found  among  the  screenings  a  vast  army  of  this  new 
enemy.  He  says  that  it  was  a  caterpillar,  about  three  eighths 
of  an  inch  in  length,  when  fully  grown,  and  apparently  of  a 
straw  color;  but,  when  seen  through  a  magnifier,  was  found  to 
be  striped  lengthwise  with  orange  and  cream  color.  Its  head 
was  dark  brown.  It  was  provided  with  legs,  could  suspend 
itself  by  a  thread,  and  resembled  a  caterpillar  in  ail  its  motions. 
This  insect  ought  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  smaller 
worms  found  by  Mr.  Sill  in  the  upper  joints  of  the  stems  of 
the  wheat,  and  within  the  kernels,  until  their  identity  has  been 
proved  by  further  observations.  It  appears  highly  probable 
that  Mr.  Gaylord's  and  Mr.  Sill's  wheat-caterpillars  are  the 
same,  notwithstanding  the  difference  in  their  color.  Insects, 
of  the  same  size  as  these  caterpillars,  and  of  a  brownish  color, 
have  been  found  in  various  parts  of  Maine,  where  they  have 
done  much  injury  to  the  grain.  Unlike  the  maggots  of  the 
wheat-fly,  with  which  they  have  been  confounded,  they  remain 
depredating  upon  the  ears  of  the  grain  until  after  the  time  of 
harvest.  Immense  numbers  of  them  have  been  seen  upon 
barn-floors,  where  the  grain  has  been  threshed,  but  they  soon 
crawl  away  and  conceal  themselves  in  crevices,  where  they 
probably  undergo  their  transformations.  Mr.  Elijah  Wood,  of 
Winthrop,  Maine,  says  that  the  chrysalis  has  been  observed  in 
the  chaff  late  in  the  fall.:|:  A  gentleman,  from  the  southern  part 
of  Penobscot  county,  informs  me  that  he  winnowed  out  nearly 
a  bushel  of  these  insects  from  his  wheat,  in  the  autumn  of  1840 ; 
and  he  confirms  the  statements  of  others,  that  these  worms 
devour  the  grain  when  in  the  milk,  and  also  after  it  has 
become  hard.     In  the  autumn  of  1838,  the  Rev.  Henry  Col- 


*  "The  Cultivator,"  Vol.  VI.,  p.  43.      t  "The  Cultivator,"  Vol.  VI.,  p.  21. 
+  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  XVII.,  p.  73. 

45 


354  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

man  observed  the  same  insect  in  the  town  of  Egremont,  in 
Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts.  It  was  separated  from  the 
wheat,  in  great  quantities,  by  threshing  and  winnowing  the 
grain.*  On  the  twenty-sixth  of  September,  1846,  my  brother 
brought  to  me  a  sample  of  wheat-cars,  from  Dixrnont,  Maine, 
containing  five  of  these  insects,  of  different  sizes.  The  largest 
measured  five  eighths  of  an  inch  in  length,  when  fully  ex- 
tended. It  was  a  very  slender  caterpillar,  having  sixteen  legs, 
and  was  not  a  true  span-worm  either  in  structure  or  motions. 
It  was  of  a  pale  reddish  brown  color,  with  three  longitudinal 
paler  or  colorless  lines  on  the  back,  and  a  broader  pale  stripe 
on  each  side  of  the  body.  The  head  and  the  tops  of  the  first 
and  last  segments  were  shining  brown.  A  few  minute  black 
points  (each  furnishing  a  short  inconspicuous  hair)  were  regu- 
larly disposed  on  each  segment.  The  body  beneath  and  all 
the  legs  were  pale  brownish  red.  Many  of  the  kernels  of 
wheat  had  been  gnawed  by  these  caterpillars;  but  they  refused 
to  eat  any  more,  and  died  without  change.  In  the  summer  of 
1850,  Dr.  Ovid  Plumb  had  the  kindness  to  send  to  me  some 
younger  specimens  of  these  caterpillars,  from  Salisbury,  Con- 
necticut, where  they  had  long  prevailed  in  the  wheat-fields; 
and  I  saw  them  in  the  wheat  at  the  same  place,  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  July,  1851.  They  had  grown  only  to  the  length  of 
three  sixteenths  or  one  fourth  of  an  inch  at  most;  but  they 
resembled  the  larger  specimens  from  Maine  in  all  essential 
particulars.  They  were  too  young  and  delicate  to  survive  the 
effects  of  a  journey  without  fresh  food,  which  could  not  be 
procured  for  them  after  my  return.  When  disturbed,  they 
readily  suspended  themselves  by  a  slender  thread,  were  very 
uneasy  on  being  taken  from  the  ears,  and  were  quick  in  all 
their  motions.  Previous  accounts  concerning  their  habits  and 
depredations  were  fully  confirmed  by  observations  and  infor- 
mation at  Salisbury.  These  wheat- worms,  or  wheat-cater- 
pillars, as  they  ought  to  be  called,  if  these  accounts  really  refer 
to  the  same  kind  of  insect,  are  supposed  by  some  persons  to 
be  identical  with  the  clover-worms,  which  have  been  found  in 


*  "Second  Report  on  the  Agriculture  of  Massachusetts,"  p.  99. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  355 

clover,  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  and  have  often  been 
seen  spinning  down  from  lofts  and  mows  where  clover  has 
been  stowed  away.*  A  striking  similarity  between  them  has 
been  noticed  by  a  writer  in  the  "  Genesee  Farmer."  f  Stephen 
Sibley,  Esq.,  informs  me  that  he  observed  the  clover-worms,  in 
Hopkinton,  New  Hampshire,  many  years  ago,  suspended  in 
such  numbers  by  their  threads  from  a  newly  gathered  clover 
mow,  and  from  the  timbers  of  the  building,  as  to  be  very 
troublesome  and  offensive  to  persons  passing  through  the  barn. 
He  also  states,  that  if  he  recollects  rightly,  these  insects  were 
of  a  brown  color,  and  about  half  an  inch  long.  I  am  sorry  to 
leave  the  history  of  these  wheat-worms  unfinished ;  but  hope 
that  the  foregoing  statements,  which  have  been  carefully  col- 
lected from  various  sources  and  compared  with  my  own  obser- 
vations, will  tend  to  remove  some  of  the  difficulties  wherewith 
the  subject  has  been  heretofore  involved.  The  contradictory 
statements  and  unsatisfactory  discussions,  that  have  appeared 
in  some  of  our  papers,  respecting  the  ravages  of  these  worms 
and  the  maggots  of  the  wheat-fly,  might  have  been  avoided, 
if  the  writers  on  these  insects  had  always  been  careful  to  give 
a  correct  and  full  description  of  the  insects  in  question.  Had 
this  been  done,  a  crawling-worm  or  caterpillar,  of  a  brownish 
color,  three  eighths  or  half  of  an  inch  in  length,  provided  with 
legs,  and  capable  of  suspending  itself  by  a  silken  thread  of  its 
own  spinning,  would  never  have  been  mistaken  for  a  writhing 
maggot,  of  a  deep  yellow  color,  only  one  tenth  of  an  inch  long, 
destitute  of  legs,  and  unable  to  spin  a  thread.  As  these  de- 
structive wheat-caterpillars  may  be  separated  from  the  wheat 
by  threshing  and  winnowing, — the  chaff  containing  them  may 
be  put  into  large  tubs,  into  which  also  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
boiling  hot  water  may  then  be  poured  to  kill  all  the  insects. 
This  will  at  least  prevent  their  making  their  escape,  com- 
pleting their  transformations,  and  laying  the  foundation  of 
another  brood. 

At  the  end  of  the  tribe  of  owlet-moths  may  be  arranged 


♦  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  XVII.,  p.  73. 
t  "  New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  XVII.,  p.  164. 


356  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

certain  insects,  which,  from  the  structure  of  their  caterjsiliars 
and  their  manner  of  creeping,  evidently  seem  to  connect  this 
tribe  with  the  Geometers.  Some  of  these  caterpillars  have 
the  first  and  sometimes  also  the  second  pair  of  proplegs,  under 
the  middle  of  the  body,  so  short,  that  they  cannot  be  used  in 
creeping ;  others  have  only  twelve  or  fourteen  legs,  the  first 
pair  of  the  proplegs,  or  the  second  also,  being  entirely  wanting 
in  them.  These  caterpillars  creep  with  a  kind  of  halting  gait, 
and  arch  up  the  middle  of  the  body,  more  or  less,  with  every 
step  they  take,  thereby  imitating  the  gait  of  the  true  geome- 
ters or  span-worms.  To  this  group  belong  the  army-worms 
or  cotton-worms,  which  ravage  the  cotton-fields  of  the  Southern 
States.  They  have  sixteen  legs;  but  the  foremost  proplegs 
are  shorter  than  the  rest,  and  the  caterpillars  crook  their  backs 
in  creeping,  which  has  caused  them  to  be  mistaken  for  geome- 
ters by  some  writers.  The  cotton-worm  is  green,  doubly 
striped  with  black  on  the  back,  and  sprinkled  with  black  dots. 
It  grows  to  the  length  of  an  inch  and  a  half,  transforms  in  a 
kind  of  web  or  imperfect  cocoon,  and  becomes  an  olive-brown 
moth,  called  Noctua  xylina  by  Mr.  Say.  It  is  found  only  as 
far  as  the  cotton  plant  is  cultivated,  and  never  occurs  in  New 
England.  The  twelve-legged  caterpillars  are  sometimes 
injurious  to  cultivated  vegetables;  but  not  enough  so,  in  this 
country,  to  have  attracted  much  notice.  Their  moths  are 
distinguished  by  golden  or  silvery  spots  on  their  fore  wings. 
The  species,  with  the  first  and  second  pairs  of  proplegs  short 
and  rudimentary,  feed  mostly  on  the  leaves  of  shrubs  and 
trees;  their  moths  are  of  large  size,  with  the  hind  wings  often 
crimson,  scarlet,  or  yellow,  and  traversed  by  black  bands.  But 
as  these  insects  are  not  particularly  interesting  to  the  farmer, 
any  further  account  of  them,  in  this  treatise,  will  be  unneces- 
sary. 

3.   Geometers.     ( Geometrce.) 
The   caterpillars   of   the    Geometr.e    of    Linnaeus,    earth- 
measurers,  as  the  term  implies,  or  geometers,  span-worms,  and 
loopers,  have  received  these  several  names  from  their  peculiar 
manner  of  moving,  in  which  they  seem  to  measure  or  span 


LEPIDOPTERA.  357 

over  the  ground,  step  by  step,  as  they  proceed.  Most  of  these 
caterpillars  have  only  ten  legs;  namely,  six,  which  are  jointed 
and  tapering,  under  the  fore  part  of  the  body,  and  four  fleshy 
propk'gs,  at  the  hinder  extremity;  the  three  intermediate  pairs 
of  proplegs  being  wanting.  Consequently,  in  creeping,  they 
arch  up  the  back  while  they  bring  forward  the  hinder  part  of 
the  body,  and  then  resting  on  their  hind  legs,  stretch  out  to 
their  full  length,  in  a  straight  line,  before  taking  another  step 
with  their  hind  legs.  Some  of  the  Geometers  have  twelve  or 
fourteen  legs;  but  the  additional  proplegs  are  so  short  that  the 
caterpillars  cannot  use  them  in  creeping,  and  their  motions  are 
the  same  as  those  that  have  only  ten  legs.  Some  caterpillars 
with  fourteen  legs,  and  wanting  only  the  terminal  pair  of 
proplegs,  are  placed  in  this  tribe  on  account  of  the  resemblance 
of  then-  moths  to  those  of  the  true  Geometers.  The  latter  live 
on  trees  and  bushes,  and  most  of  them  undergo  their  transfor- 
mations upon  or  in  the  ground,  to  reach  which,  by  travelling 
along  the  branches  and  down  the  stem,  would  be  a  long  and 
tedious  journey  to  them,  on  account  of  the  deficiency  of  their 
legs,  and  the  slowness  of  their  gait.  But  they  are  not  reduced 
to  this  necessity;  for  they  have  the  power  of  letting  themselves 
down  from  any  height,  by  means  of  a  silken  thread,  which 
they  spin  from  their  mouths  while  falling.  Whenever  they 
are  disturbed  they  make  use  of  this  faculty,  drop  suddenly, 
and  hang  suspended,  till  the  danger  is  past,  after  which  they 
climb  up  again  by  the  same  thread.  In  order  to  do  this,  the 
span-worm  bends  back  its  head  and  catches  hold  of  the  thread 
above  its  head  with  one  of  the  legs  of  the  third  segment,  then 
raising  its  head  it  seizes  the  thread  witli  its  jaws  and  fore  legs, 
and,  by  repeating  the  same  operations  with  tolerable  rapidity, 
it  soon  reaches  its  former  station  on  the  tree.  These  span- 
worms  are  naked,  or  only  thinly  covered  with  very  short  down; 
they  are  mostly  smooth,  but  sometimes  have  warts  or  irregular 
projections  on  their  backs.  They  change  their  color  iisually 
as  they  grow  older,  are  sometimes  striped,  and  sometimes  of 
one  uniform  color,  nearly  resembling  the  bark  of  the  plants  on 
which  they  are  found.  When  not  eating,  many  of  them  rest 
on  the  two  hindmost  pairs  of  legs  against  the  side  of  a  branch, 


358  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

with  the  body  extended  from  the  branch,  so  that  they  might 
be  mistaken  for  a  twig  of  the  tree ;  and  in  this  position  they 
will  often  remain  for  hours  together.  When  about  to  trans- 
form, most  of  these  insects  descend  from  the  plants  on  which 
they  live,  and  either  bury  themselves  in  the  ground,  or  conceal 
themselves  on  the  surface  under  a  slight  covering  of  leaves 
fastened  together  with  silken  threads.  Some  make  more 
regular  cocoons,  which,  however,  are  very  thin,  and  generally 
more  or  less  covered  on  the  outside  with  leaves.  The  cocoons 
of  the  European,  tailed  Geometer  {Ourapteryx  sambucaria), 
which  lives  on  the  elder,  and  of  our  chain-dotted  Geometer 
{Geometra  catenaria) ,  which  is  found  on  the  wood -wax,  are 
made  with  regular  meshes,  like  net-work,  through  which  the 
insects  may  be  seen.  A  very  few  of  the  span-worms  fasten 
themselves  to  the  stems  of  plants,  and  are  changed  to  chrysa- 
lids,  which  hang  suspended,  without  the  protection  of  any 
outer  covering. 

In  their  perfected  state  these  insects  are  mostly  slender- 
bodied  moths,  with  tapering  antennae,  which  are  often  feathered 
in  the  males.  Their  feelers  are  short  and  slender;  the  tongue 
is  short  and  weak;  the  thorax  is  not  crested;  the  wings  are 
large,  thin,  and  delicate,  sometimes  angular,  and  often  marked 
with  one  or  two  dark-colored  oblique  bands.  They  generally 
rest  with  the  wings  slightly  inclined  and  almost  horizontal; 
some  with  them  extended,  and  others  with  the  hind  wings 
covered  by  the  upper  pair.  A  very  few  carry  their  wings  like 
the  Skippers.  Some  of  the  females  are  without  wings,  and 
are  distinguished  also  by  the  oval  and  robust  form  of  their 
bodies.  These  moths  are  most  active  in  the  night;  but  some 
of  them  may  be  seen  flying  in  thickets  during  the  day-time. 
They  are  very  short-lived,  and  die  soon  after  their  eggs  are 
laid. 

Those  kinds,  whereof  the  females  are  wingless,  or  have  only 
very  short,  scale-like  wings,  and  naked  antennee,  while  the 
males  have  large,  entire  wings,  and  feathered  or  downy  an- 
tennae, seem  to  form  a  distinct  group,  which  may  be  named 
Hybernians  (Hyberniad.e),  from  the  principal  genus  included 
therein.     The  caterpillars  have  only  ten  legs,  six  before  and 


LEPIDOPTERA.  359 

four  behind;  and  they  undergo  their  transformations  in  the 
ground.  The  insects  called  canker-worms,  in  this  country,  are 
of  this  kind.  The  moths,  from  which  they  are  produced,  be- 
long to  the  genus  Anisoptenjx*  so  named  because  in  some 
species  the  wings  in  the  two  sexes  are  very  unequal  in  size, 
and  in  others  the  females  are  wingless.  Among  those  whose 
females  are  wingless  are  the  canker-worm  moths.  In  the  late 
Professor  Peck's  "  Natural  History  of  the  Canker-worm," 
which  was  published  among  the  papers  of  "the  Massachu- 
setts Society  for  Promoting  Agriculture,"  and  obtained  a 
prize  from  the  Society,  this  insect  is  called  Phalccna  venuifa, 
on  account  of  its  common  appearance  in  the  spring,  and  also 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  winter  moth  [Phalana  or  Cheimato- 
bia  bnnnata)  of  Europe.  In  the  male  canker-worm  moth  the 
antennaB  have  a  very  narrow,  and  almost  downy  edging,  on 
each  side,  hardly  to  be  seen  with  the  naked  eye.  The  feelers 
are  minute,  and  do  not  extend  beyond  the  mouth.  The 
tongue  is  not  visible.  The  wings  are  large,  very  thin  and 
silky ;  and,  when  the  insect  is  at  rest,  the  fore  wings  are 
turned  back,  entirely  cover  the  hind  wings,  and  overlap  on 
their  inner  edges.  The  fore  wings  are  ash-colored,  with  a 
distinct  whitish  spot  on  the  front  edge,  near  the  tip ;  they  are 
crossed  by  t^vo  jagged,  whitish  bands,  along  the  sides  of  which 
there  are  several  blackish  dots ;  the  outermost  band  has  an 
angle  near  the  front  ege,  within  which  there  is  a  short,  faint, 
blackish  line;  and  there  is  a  row  of  black  dots,  along  the  outer 
margin,  close  to  the  fringe.  The  hind  wings  are  pale  ash- 
colored,  with  a  faint  blackish  dot  near  the  middle.  The  wings 
expand  about  one  inch  and  a  quarter.  This  is  the  usual  ap- 
pearance of  the  male,  in  its  most  perfect  condition ;  by  which 
it  will  be  seen  that  it  closely  resembles  the  Anisopteryx  uEscu- 
laria  of  Europe.  Compared  with  the  latter,  I  find  that  our 
canker-worm  moth  is  rather  smaller,  the  wings  arc  darker, 
proportionally  shorter  and  more  obtuse,  the  white  bands  are 
less  distinct,  and  are  often  entirely  wanting,  in  which  case 
only  the  whitish  spot  near  the  tip  remains,  the  hind  wings  are 


*  Literally  unequal  iring. 


360  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

more  dusky,  and  the  feelers  are  gray  instead  of  being  white. 
Specimens,  of  a  rather  smaller  size,  are  sometimes  found,  re- 
sembling the  figure  and  description  given  by  Professor  Peck, 
in  which  the  whitish  bands  and  spot  are  wanting,  and  there 
are  three  interrupted  dnsky  lines  across  the  fore  wings,  with 
an  oblique  blackish  dash  near  the  tip.  Perhaps  they  constitute 
a  different  species  from  that  of  the  true  canker-worm  moth. 
Should  this  be  the  case,  the  latter  may  be  called  Anisopteryx 
pometaria,  or  the  Anisopteryx  of  the  orchard,  while  the  former 
should  retain  the  name  originally  given  to  it  by  Professor 
Peck.  The  female  is  wingless,  and  its  antennae  are  short, 
slender,  and  naked.  Its  body  approaches  to  an  oval  form,  but 
tapers  and  is  turned  up  behind.  It  is  dark  ash-colored  above, 
and  gray  beneath. 

It  was  formerly  supposed  that  the  canker-worm  moths  came 
out  of  the  ground  only  in  the  spring.  It  is  now  known  that 
many  of  them  rise  in  the  autumn  and  in  the  early  part  of  the 
winter.  In  mild  and  open  winters  I  have  seen  them  in  every 
month  from  October  to  March.  They  begin  to  make  their 
appearance  after  the  first  hard  frosts  in  the  autumn,  usually 
towards  the  end  of  October,  and  they  continue  to  come  forth, 
in  greater  or  smaller  numbers,  according  to  the  mildness  or 
severity  of  the  weather  after  the  frosts  have  begun.  Their 
general  time  of  rising  is  in  the  spring,  beginning  about  the 
middle  of  March,  but  sometimes  before,  and  sometimes  after 
this  time ;  and  they  continue  to  come  forth  for  the  space  of 
about  three  weeks.  It  has  been  observed  that  there  are  more 
females  than  males  among  those  that  appear  in  the  autumn 
and  winter,  and  that  the  males  are  most  abundant  in  the 
spring.  The  sluggish  females  instinctively  make  their  way 
towards  the  nearest  trees,  and  creep  slowly  up  their  trunks. 
In  a  few  days  afterwards  they  are  followed  by  the  winged  and 
active  males,  which  flutter  about  and  accompany  them  in  their 
ascent,  during  which  the  insects  pair.  Soon  after  this,  the 
females  lay  their  eggs  upon  the  branches  of  the  trees,  placing 
them  on  their  ends,  close  together  in  rows,  forming  clusters  of 
from  sixty  to  one  hundred  eggs  or  more,  which  is  the  number 
usually  laid  by  each  female.     The  eggs  are  glued  to  each 


LEPIDOPTERA.  361 

other,  and  to  the  bark,  by  a  grayish  varnish,  which  is  imper- 
vious to  water ;  and  the  clusters  are  thus  securely  fastened  in 
the  forks  of  the  small  branches,  or  close  to  the  young  twigs 
and  buds.  Immediately  after  the  insects  have  thus  provided 
for  a  succession  of  their  kind,  they  begin  to  languish,  and  soon 
die.  The  eggs  are  usually  hatched  between  the  first  and  the 
middle  of  May,  or  about  the  time  that  the  red  currant  is  in 
blossom,  and  the  young  leaves  of  the  apple-tree  begin  to  start 
from  the  bad  and  grow.  The  little  canker-worms,  upon  mak- 
ing their  escape  from  the  eggs,  gather  upon  the  tender  leaves, 
and,  on  the  occuiTence  of  cold  and  wet  weather,  creep  for  shel- 
ter into  the  bosom  of  the  bud,  or  into  the  flowers,  when  the 
latter  appear.  As  this  treatise  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  {per- 
sons who  are  not  acquainted  with  the  habits  and  devastations 
of  our  canker-worms,  it  should  be  stated  that,  where  these  in- 
sects prevail,  they  are  most  abundant  on  apple  and  elm  trees ; 
but  that  cherry,  plum,  and  lime  trees,  and  some  other  cultivated 
and  native  trees,  as  well  as  many  shrubs,  often  sutler  severely 
from  their  voracity.  The  leaves  first  attacked  will  be  found 
pierced  with  small  holes ;  these  become  larger  and  more  irreg- 
ular when  the  canker-worms  increase  in  size ;  and,  at  last,  the 
latter  eat  nearly  all  the  pulpy  parts  of  the  leaves,  leaving  little 
more  than  the  midrib  and  veins.  A  very  great  difference  of 
color  is  observable  among  canker-worms  of  different  ages,  and 
even  among  those  of  the  same  age  and  size.  It  is  possible 
that  some  of  these  variations  may  arise  from  a  difference  of 
species ;  but  it  is  also  true  that  the  same  species  varies  much 
in  color.  When  very  young,  they  have  two  minute  warts  on 
the  top  of  the  last  ring;  and  they  are  then  generally  of  a  black- 
ish or  dusky  brown  color,  with  a  yellowish  stripe  on  each  side 
of  the  body;  there  are  two  whitish  bands  across  the  head;  and 
the  belly  is  also  whitish.  When  fully  grown,  these  individuals 
become  ash-colored  on  the  back,  and  black  on  the  sides,  below 
which  the  pale  yellowish  line  remains.  Some  are  found  of  a 
dull  greenish  yellow  and  others  of  a  clay  color,  with  slender 
interrupted  blackish  lines  on  the  sides,  and  small  spots  of  the 
same  color  on  the  back.  Some  are  green,  with  two  white 
stripes  on  the  back.  The  head  and  the  feet  partake  of  the 
46 


362  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

general  color  of  the  body ;  the  belly  is  paler.  When  not  eat- 
ing, they  remain  stretched  out  at  full  length,  and  resting  on 
their  fore  and  hind  legs,  beneath  the  leaves.  When  fully 
grown  and  well  fed,  they  measure  nearly  or  quite  one  inch  in 
length.  They  leave  off"  eating  when  about  four  weeks  old,* 
and  begin  to  quit  the  trees ;  some  creep  down  by  the  trunk, 
but  great  numbers  let  themselves  down  by  their  threads  from 
the  branches,  their  instincts  prompting  them  to  get  to  the 
ground  by  the  most  direct  and  easiest  course.  When  thus 
descending,  and  suspended  in  great  numbers  under  the  limbs 
of  trees  overhanging  the  road,  they  are  often  swept  off"  by  pass- 
ing carriages,  and  are  thus  conveyed  to  other  places.  After 
reaching  the  ground,  they  immediately  burrow  in  the  earth,  to 
the  depth  of  from  two  to  six  inches,  unless  prevented  by  weak- 
ness or  the  nature  of  the  soil.  In  the  latter  case,  they  die,  or 
undergo  their  transformations  on  the  surface.  In  the  former, 
they  make  little  cavities  or  cells  in  the  ground,  by  turning 
round  repeatedly  and  fastening  the  loose  grains  of  earth  about 
them  with  a  few  silken  threads.  Within  twenty-four  hours 
afterwards,  they  are  changed  to  chrysalids  in  their  cells.  The 
chrysalis  is  of  a  light  brown  color,  and  varies  in  size  according 
to  the  sex  of  the  insect  contained  in  it ;  that  of  the  female 
being  the  largest,  and  being  destitute  of  a  covering  for  wings, 
which  is  found  in  the  chrysalis  of  the  males.  The  occun'cnce 
of  mild  weather  after  a  severe  frost  stimulates  some  of  these 
insects  to  burst  their  chrysalis  skins  and  come  forth  in  the  per- 
fected state ;  and  this  last  transformation,  as  before  stated, 
may  take  place  in  the  autumn,  or  in  the  course  of  the  winter, 
as  w^ell  as  in  the  spring ;  it  is  also  retarded,  in  some  individ- 
uals, for  a  year  or  more  beyond  the  usual  time.  They  come 
out  of  the  ground  mostly  in  the  night,  when  they  may  be  seen 
struggling  through  the  grass  as  far  as  the  limbs  extend  from 
the  body  of  the  trees  under  which  they  had  been  buried.  As 
the  females  are  destitute  of  wings,  they  are  not  able  to  wander 


*  In  the  year  1841,  the  red  currant  flowered,  and  the  canker-worms  appeared, 
om  the  fifteenth  of  May.  The  insects  were  very  abundant  on  the  fifteenth  of 
June,  and  on  the  seventeenth  scarcely  one  was  to  be  seen. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  363 

far  from  the  trees  upon  which  they  have  lived  in  the  caterpillar 
state.  Canker-worms  are  therefore  naturally  confined  to  a 
very  limited  space,  from  which  they  spread  year  after  year. 
Accident,  however,  will  often  carry  them  far  from  their  native 
haunts,  and  in  this  way,  probably,  they  have  extended  to 
places  remote  from  each  other.  Where  they  have  become 
established,  and  have  been  neglected,  their  ravages  are  often 
very  great.  In  the  early  part  of  the  season  the  canker-worms 
do  not  attract  much  attention ;  but  it  is  in  June,  when  they 
become  extremely  voracious,  that  the  mischief  they  have  done 
is  rendered  apparent,  when  we  have  before  us  the  melancholy 
sight  of  the  foliage  of  our  fruit-trees  and  of  our  noble  elms 
reduced  to  withered  and  lifeless  shreds,  and  whole  orchards 
looking  as  if  they  had  been  suddenly  scorched  with  fire. 

In  order  to  protect  our  trees  from  the  ravages  of  canker- 
worms,  where  these  looping  spoilers  abound,  it  should  be  our 
aim,  if  possible,  to  prevent  the  wingless  females  from  ascend- 
ing the  trees  to  deposit  their  eggs.  This  can  be  done  by  the 
application  of  tar  around  the  body  of  the  tree,  either  directly 
on  the  bark,  as  has  been  the  most  common  practice,  or,  what 
is  better,  over  a  broad  belt  of  clay-mortar,  or  on  strips  of  old 
canvass  or  of  strong  paper,  from  six  to  tsvelve  inches  wide, 
fastened  around  the  trunk  with  strings.  The  tar  must  be  ap- 
plied as  early  as  the  first  of  November,  and  perhaps  in  Octo- 
ber, and  it  should  be  renewed  daily  as  long  as  the  insects 
continue  rising;  after  which  the  bands  may  be  removed,  and 
the  tar  should  be  entirely  scraped  from  the  bark.  When  all 
this  has  been  properly  and  seasonably  done,  it  has  proved 
effectual.  The  time,  labor,  and  expense  attending  the  use  of 
tar,  and  the  injury  that  it  does  to  the  trees  when  allowed  to  run 
and  remain  on  the  bark,  have  caused  many  persons  to  neglect 
this  method,  and  some  to  try  various  modifications  of  it,  and 
other  expedients.  Among  the  modifications  may  be  mentioned 
a  horizontal  and  close-fitting  collar  of  boards,  fastened  around 
the  trunk,  and  smeared  beneath  with  tar;  or  four  boards,  nailed 
together,  like  a  box  without  top  or  bottom,  around  the  base  of 
the  tree,  to  receive  the  tar  on  the  outside.  These  can  be  used 
to  protect  a  few  choice  trees  in  a  garden,  or  around  a  house  or 


364  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

a  public  square,  but  will  be  found  too  expensive  to  be  applied 
to  any  great  extent.  Collars  of  tin-plate,  fastened  around  the 
trees,  and  sloping  downwards  like  an  inverted  tunnel,  have 
been  proposed,  upon  the  supposition  that  the  moths  would  not 
be  able  to  creep  in  an  inverted  position,  beneath  the  smooth 
and  sloping  surface.  This  method  will  also  prove  too  expen- 
sive for  general  adoption,  even  should  it  be  found  to  answer 
the  purpose.  A  belt  of  cotton-wool,  which  it  has  been  thought 
would  entangle  the  feet  of  the  insects,  and  thus  keep  them  from 
ascending  the  trees,  has  not  proved  an  effectual  bar  to  them. 
Little  square  or  circular  troughs  of  tin  or  of  lead,  filled  with 
cheap  fish  oil,  and  placed  around  the  trees,  three  feet  or  more 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  wath  a  stufling  of  cloth,  hay, 
or  sea-weed  between  them  and  the  trunk,  have  long  been  used 
by  various  persons  in  Massachusetts  with  good  success  ;  and 
the  only  objections  to  them  are  the  cost  of  the  troughs,  the 
difficulty  of  fixing  and  keeping  them  in  their  places,  and  the 
injury  suffered  by  the  trees  when  the  oil  is  washed  or  blown 
out  and  falls  upon  the  bark.  Mr.  Jonathan  Dennis,  Jr.,  of 
Portsmouth,  Rhode  Island,  has  obtained  a  patent  for  a  circular 
leaden  trough  to  contain  oil,  offering  some  advantages  over 
those  that  have  heretofore  been  used,  although  it  does  not  en- 
tirely prevent  the  escape  of  the  oil,  and  the  nails,  with  which 
it  is  secured,  are  found  to  be  injurious  to  the  trees.  These 
troughs  ought  not  to  be  nailed  to  the  trees,  but  should  be  sup- 
ported by  a  few  wooden  wedges  driven  between  them  and  the 
trunks.  A  stuffing  of  cloth,  cotton,  or  tow,  should  never  be 
used ;  sea-weed  and  fine  hay,  which  will  not  absorb  the  oil, 
are  much  better.  Before  the  troughs  are  fastened  and  filled, 
the  body  of  the  tree  should  be  well  coated  with  clay  paint  or 
whitewash,  to  absorb  the  oil  that  may  fall  upon  it.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  renew  the  oil  as  often  as  it  escapes  or  be- 
comes filled  with  the  insects.  These  troughs  will  be  found 
more  economical  and  less  troublesome  than  the  application  of 
tar,  and  may  safely  be  recommended  and  employed,  if  proper 
attention  is  given  to  the  precautions  above  named.  Some 
persons  fasten  similar  troughs,  to  contain  oil,  around  the  outer 
sides  of  an  open  box  enclosing  the  base  of  the  tree,  and  a  pro- 


LEPIDOPTERA.  365 

jecting  ledge  is  nailed  on  the  edge  of  the  box  to  shed  the  rain; 
by  this  contrivance,  all  danger  of  hurting  the  tree  with  the  oil 
is  entirely  avoided.  In  the  "  Manchester  Guardian,"  an  Eng- 
lish newspaper,  of  the  fourth  of  November,  1840,  is  the  follow- 
ing article  on  the  use  of  melted  Indian  rubber  to  prevent 
insects  from  climbing  up  trees.  "  At  a  late  meeting  of  the 
Entomological  Society,  [of  London  ?]  Mr.  J.  H.  Fennell  com- 
municated the  following  successful  mode  of  preventing  insects 
ascending  the  trunks  of  fruit-trees.  Let  a  piece  of  Indian 
rubber  be  burnt  over  a  gallipot,  into  which  it  will  gradually 
drop  in  the  condition  of  a  viscid  juice,  w^hich  state,  it  appears, 
it  will  always  retain ;  for  Mr.  Fennell  has,  at  the  present  time, 
some  which  has  been  melted  for  upwards  of  a  year,  and  has 
been  exposed  to  all  weathers  without  undergoing  the  slightest 
change.  Having  melted  the  Indian  rubber,  let  a  piece  of  cord 
or  worsted  be  smeared  with  it,  and  then  tied  several  times 
round  the  trunk.  The  melted  substance  is  so  very  sticky,  that 
the  insects  will  be  prevented,  and  generally  captured,  in  their 
attempts  to  pass  over  it.  About  three  pennyworth  of  Indian 
rubber  is  sufficient  for  the  protection  of  twenty  ordinary  sized 
fruit-trees."  Applied  in  this  way  it  would  not  be  sufficient  to 
keep  the  canker-worm  moths  from  getting  up  the  trees;  for 
the  first  comers  would  soon  bridge  over  the  cord  with  their 
bodies,  and  thus  afford  a  passage  to  their  followers.  To  in- 
sure success,  it  should  be  melted  in  larger  quantities,  and 
daubed  with  a  brush  upon  strips  of  cloth  or  paper,  fastened 
round  the  trunks  of  the  trees.  Worn  out  Indian  rubber  shoes, 
which  are  worth  little  or  nothing  for  any  other  purpose,  can 
be  put  to  this  use.  This  plan  has  been  tried  by  a  few  persons 
in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  some  of  whom  speak  favorably  of  it. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  the  melted  rubber  might  be  applied 
immediately  to  the  bark  without  injuring  the  trees.  A  little 
conical  mound  of  sand  surrounding  the  base  of  the  tree  is 
found  to  be  impassable  to  the  moths,  so  long  as  the  sand  re- 
mains dry ;  but  they  easily  pass  over  it  when  the  sand  is  wet, 
and  they  come  out  of  the  ground  in  wet,  as  often  as  in  dry 
weather. 

Some  attempts  have  been  made  to  destroy  the  canker-worms 


366  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

after  they  were  hatched  from  the  eggs,  and  were  dispersed  over 
the  leaves  of  the  trees.  It  is  said  that  some  persons  have  saved 
their  trees  from  these  insects  by  freely  dusting  air-slacked  lime 
over  them  while  the  leaves  were  wet  with  dew.  Showering 
the  trees  with  mixtures  that  are  found  useful  to  destroy  other 
insects,  has  been  tried  by  a  few,  and,  although  attended  with 
a  good  deal  of  trouble  and  expense,  it  may  be  worth  our  while 
to  apply  such  remedies  upon  small  and  choice  trees.  Mr. 
David  Haggerston,  of  Watertown,  Mass.,  has  used,  for  this 
purpose,  a  mixture  of  water  and  oil-soap  (an  article  to  be 
procured  from  the  manufactories  where  whale  oil  is  purified), 
in  the  proportion  of  one  pound  of  the  soap  to  seven  gallons  of 
water;  and  he  states  that  this  liquor,  when  thrown  on  the  trees 
with  a  garden  engine,  will  destroy  the  canker-worm  and  many 
other  insects,  without  injuring  the  foliage  or  the  fruit.  This 
application  maybe  found  useful  in  protecting  grafts;  for  if 
canker-worms  attack  these  they  will  very  much  injure  if  not 
entirely  destroy  them.  Jarring  or  shaking  the  limbs  of  the 
trees  will  disturb  the  canker-worms,  and  cause  many  of  them 
to  spin  down,  when  their  threads  may  be  broken  off  with  a 
pole;  and  if  the  troughs  around  the  trees  are  at  the  same  time 
replenished  with  oil,  or  the  tar  is  again  applied,  the  insects 
will  be  caught  in  their  attempts  to  creep  up  the  trunks.  In 
the  same  way,  also,  those  that  are  coming  down  the  trunks  to 
go  into  the  ground  will  be  caught  and  killed.  If  greater  pains 
were  to  be  taken  to  destroy  the  insects  in  the  caterpillar  state, 
their  numbers  would  soon  greatly  diminish. 

Even  after  they  have  left  the  trees,  have  gone  into  the 
ground,  and  have  changed  their  forms,  they  are  not  wholly 
beyond  the  reach  of  means  for  destroying  them.  One  person 
told  me  that  his  swine,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  turning 
into  his  orchard  in  the  autumn,  rooted  up  and  killed  great 
numbers  of  the  chrysalids  of  the  canker-worms.  Some  per- 
sons have  recommended  digging  or  ploughing  under  the  trees, 
in  the  autumn,  with  the  hope  of  crushing  some  of  the  chrysa- 
lids by  so  doing,  and  of  exposing  others  to  perish  with  the 
cold  of  the  following  winter.  If  hogs  are  then  allowed  to  go 
among  the  treesj  and  a  few  grains  of  corn  are  scattered  on  the 


LEPIDOPTERA.  367 

loosened  soil,  these  animals  will  eat  many  of  the  chrysalids  as 
well  as  the  corn,  and  will  crush  others  witii  their  feet.  INIr.  S. 
P.  Fowler  *  thinks  it  better  to  dig  around  the  trees  in  July, 
while  the  shells  of  the  insects  are  soft  and  tender.  He  and 
Mr.  John  Kenrick,  of  Newton,  Mass.,  advise  us  to  remove  the 
soil  to  the  distance  of  four  or  five  feet  from  the  trunk  of  the 
ti-ees,  and  to  the  depth  of  six  inches,  to  cart  it  away  and  re- 
place it  with  an  equal  quantity  of  compost  or  rich  earth.  In 
this  way,  many  of  the  insects  will  be  removed  also;  but,  unless 
the  earth,  thus  carried  away,  is  thrown  into  some  pond-hole, 
and  left  covered  with  water,  many  of  the  insects  contained  in 
it  will  undergo  their  transformations  and  come  out  alive  the 
next  year. 

Canker-worms  are  subject  to  the  attacks  of  many  enemies. 
Great  numbers  of  them  are  devoured  by  several  kinds  of  birds, 
which  live  almost  entirely  upon  them  during  their  season. 
They  are  also  eaten  by  a  very  large  and  splendid  ground-beetle 
( Calosoma  scrutator),  that  appears  about  the  time  when  these 
insects  begin  to  leave  the  trees.  These  beetles  do  not  fly,  but 
they  run  about  in  the  grass  after  the  canker-worms,  and  even 
mount  upon  the  trunks  of  the  trees  to  seize  them  as  they  come 
down.  The  potter-wasp  {Eumenes  fraierna),  an  insect  rather 
smaller  than  the  common  brown  wasp,  fills  her  clay  cells  with 
canker-worms,  often  gathering  eighteen  or  twenty  of  them  as 
food  for  her  young.f  A  four-winged  ichneumon-fly  also  stings 
them,  and  deposits  an  egg  in  every  canker-worm  thus  wounded. 
From  the  egg  is  hatched  a  little  maggot,  that  preys  on  the 
fatty  substance  of  the  canker-worm,  and  weakens  it  so  much 
that  it  is  unable  to  go  through  its  future  transformations.  I 
have  seen  one  of  these  flies  sting  several  canker-worms  in 
succession,  and  swarms  of  them  may  be  observed  around  the 
trees  as  long  as  the  canker-worms  remain.  Their  services, 
therefore,  are  doubtless  very  considerable.     Among  a  large 


*  See  "Yankee  Farmer"  of  July  18,  1810,  and  "  New  England  Farmer"  of 
June  2,  1841,  for  some  valuable  remarks  by  Mr.  Fowler. 

t  See  the  history  of  this  insect,  and  a  figure  of  her  cells,  in  the  "  Boston  Culti- 
vator," for  July  15,  1848. 


368  INSECTS  IXJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

number  of  canker-worms,  taken  promiscuously  from  various 
trees,  I  found  that  nearly  one  third  of  the  whole  were  unable 
to  finish  their  transformations,  because  they  had  been  attacked 
by  internal  enemies  of  another  kind.  These  were  little  mag- 
gots, that  lived  singly  within  the  bodies  of  the  canker-worms, 
till  the  latter  died  from  weakness;  after  which  the  maggots 
underwent  a  change,  and  finally  came  out  of  the  bodies  of 
their  victims  in  the  form  of  small  two-winged  cuckoo-flies, 
belonging  to  the  genus  Tachina.  Mr.  E.  C.  llerrick,  of  New 
Haven,  Connecticut,  has  made  the  interesting  discovery  that 
the  eggs  of  the  canker-worm  moth  are  pierced  by  a  tiny  four- 
winged  fly,  a  species  of  Platt/g-aster,  which  goes  from  egg  to 
egg,  and  drops  in  each  of  them  one  of  her  own  eggs.  Some- 
times every  canker-worm  egg  in  a  cluster,  will  be  found  to 
have  been  thus  punctured  and  seeded  for  a  future  harvest  of 
the  Platyg-aster.  The  young  of  this  Platygaster  is  an  exceed- 
ingly minute  maggot,  hatched  within  the  canker-worm  egg^ 
the  shell  of  which,  though  only  one  thirtieth  of  an  inch  long, 
serves  for  its  habitation,  and  the  contents  for  its  food,  till  it  is 
fully  grown ;  after  which  it  becomes  a  chrysalis  within  the 
same  shell,  and  in  due  time  comes  out  a  Platijgaster  fly,  like 
its  parent.  This  last  transformation  Mr.  Herrick  found  to  take 
place  towards  the  end  of  June,  from  eggs  laid  in  November  of 
the  year  before;  and  he  thinks  that  the  flies  continue  alive 
through  the  summer,  till  the  appearance  of  the  canker-worm 
moths  in  the  autumn  affords  them  the  opportunity  of  laying 
their  eggs  for  another  brood.  As  these  little  parasites  prevent 
the  hatching  of  the  eggs  wherein  they  are  bred,  and  as  they 
seem  to  be  very  abundant,  they  must  be  of  great  use  in  pre- 
venting the  increase  of  the  canker-worm.  Without  doubt 
such  wisely  appointed  means  as  these  were  once  enough  to 
keep  within  due  bounds  these  noxious  insects;  but,  since  our 
forests,  their  natural  food,  and  our  birds,  their  greatest  enemies, 
have  disappeared  before  the  woodman's  axe  and  the  sports- 
man's gun,  we  are  left  to  our  own  ingenuity,  perseverance, 
and  united  efforts,  to  contrive  and  carry  into  effect  other  means 
for  checking  their  ravages. 

Between  the  years   1841   and  1847,  canker-worms  almost 


LEPIDOPTERA.  369 

entirely  disappeared  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  At  the  latter 
date,  there  was  a  visible  increase  of  them  here,  and  their  num- 
bers have  rapidly  augmented  every  subsequent  year.  In  a 
few  years  more,  unless  checked  by  natural  or  artificial  means, 
they  will  probably  prove  as  destructive  as  at  any  former  time. 
The  writer  of  this  work  has  given  repeated  warning  of  these 
facts  in  the  public  prints,  and  has  pointed  out  the  remedies  to 
be  applied.* 

Apple,  elm,  and  lime  trees,  are  sometimes  injured  a  good 
deal  by  another  kind  of  span-worm,  larger  than  the  canker- 
worm,  and  very  different  from  it  in  appearance.  It  is  of  a 
bright  yellow  color,  with  ten  crinkled  black  lines  along  the  top 
of  the  back;  the  head  is  rust-colored;  and  the  belly  is  paler 
than  the  rest  of  the  body.  When  fully  grown,  it  measures 
about  one  inch  and  a  quarter  in  length.  It  often  rests  with 
the  middle  of  the  body  curved  upwards  a  little,  and  sometimes 
even  without  the  support  of  its  fore  legs.  The  leaves  of  the 
lime  seem  to  be  its  natural  and  favorite  food,  for  it  may  be 
found  on  this  tree  every  year ;  but  I  have  often  seen  it  in  con- 
siderable abundance,  with  common  canker-worms,  on  other 
trees.  It  is  hatched  rather  later,  and  does  not  leave  the  trees 
quite  so  soon  as  the  latter.  About  or  soon  after  the  middle  of 
June  it  spins  down  from  the  trees,  goes  into  the  ground,  and 
changes  to  a  chrysalis  in  a  little  cell  five  or  six  inches  below 
the  surface;  and  from  this  it  comes  out  in  the  moth  state 
towards  the  end  of  October  or  during  the  month  of  November. 
More  rarely  its  last  transformation  is  retarded  till  the  spring. 
The  females  are  wingless  and  grub-like,  with  slender  thread- 
shaped  antennae.  As  soon  as  they  leave  the  ground  they 
creep  up  the  trees,  and  lay  their  eggs  in  little  clusters,  here 
and  there  on  the  branches.  The  males  have  large  and  delicate 
wings,  and  their  antennae  have  a  narrow  feathery  edging  on 
each  side.  They  follow  the  females,  and  pair  with  them  on 
the  trees.     This  kind  of  moth  closely  resembles  the  lime-looper 


*  See  Prairie  Farmer,  Vol.  VIII.,  p.  172,  for  June,  1848.  Massachusetts 
Ploughman,  for  June  24,  1848,  Nov.  23,  1850,  and  May  17,  1851.  Boston  Cul- 
tivator, Nov.  24,  1849.     New  England  Farmer,  Vol.  XL,  p.  252,  for  August,  1850. 

47 


370  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  \*EG  STATION. 

or  umber  moth  [Hyhernia  defoUaria)  of  Europe;  but  differi! 
from  it  so  much  in  the  larva  state,  that  I  have  not  the  shghtest 
doubt  of  its  being  a  distinct  species,  and  accordingly  name  it 
Hyhernia  Tiliaria,  the  lime-tree  winter-moth,  from  Tilia,  the 
scientific  name  of  its  favorite  tree.  The  fore  wings  of  the 
male  are  rusty  buff  or  nankin-yellow,  sprinkled  with  very  fine 
brownish  dots,  and  banded  with  two  transverse,  wavy,  brown 
lines,  the  band  nearest  the  shoulders  being  often  indistinct;  in 
the  space  between  the  bands,  and  near  to  the  thick  edge  of 
the  wing,  there  is  generally  a  brown  dot.  The  hind  wings  are 
much  paler  than  the  others,  and  have  a  small  brownish  dot  in 
the  middle.  The  color  of  the  body  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
fore  wings;  and  the  legs  are  ringed  with  buff  and  brown.  The 
wings  expand  one  inch  and  three  quarters.  The  body  of  the 
female  is  grayish  or  yellowish  white ;  it  is  sprinkled  on  the 
sides  with  black  dots,  and  there  are  two  square  black  spots  on 
the  top  of  each  ring,  except  the  last,  which  has  only  one  spot. 
The  front  of  the  head  is  black ;  and  the  antennas  and  the  legs 
are  ringed  with  black  and  white.  The  tail  is  tipped  with  a 
tapering,  jointed  egg-tube,  that  can  be  drawn  in  and  out,  like 
the  joints  of  a  telescope.  Exclusive  of  this  tube,  the  female 
measures  about  half  an  inch  in  length.  The  ^'gg'^  are  beautiful 
objects  when  seen  under  a  microscope.  They  are  of  an  oval 
shape,  and  pale  yellow  color,  and  are  covered  with  little  raised 
lines,  like  net-work,  or  like  the  cells  of  a  honeycomb. 

As  these  span-worms  appear  at  the  same  time  as  canker- 
worms,  resemble  them  in  their  habits,  and  often  live  on  the 
same  trees,  they  can  be  kept  in  check  by  such  means  as  are 
found  useful  when  employed  against  canker-worms. 

Probably  more  than  one  hundred  difllerent  kinds  of  Geome- 
ters may  be  found  in  Massachusetts  alone.  Seventy-eight  are 
already  known  to  me.  Some  of  these  are  small,  and  are  not 
otherwise  remarkable  ;  some  are  distinguished  for  their  greater 
size  and  beauty  in  the  moth  state,  or  for  the  singularity  of  the 
forms  and  habits  of  their  caterpillars.  None  of  them,  how- 
ever, have  become  so  notorious  on  account  of  their  devastations 
as  the  species  already  described. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  371 

4.  Delta  Moths.     [Pyralides.) 

The  Pyralides  of  LinnsGus  are  nearly  akin  to  the  Geome- 
ters. Latreille  called  them  Dc/ioidcs,  because  the  form  of  the 
moths,  when  their  wings  are  closed,  is  triangular,  like  that  of 
the  Greek  letter  A.  For  the  same  reason  I  have  called  them 
Delta-moths.  The  body,  in  these  moths,  is  long  and  slender. 
The  fore  wings  are  long  and  rather  narrow,  and  cover  the  hind 
wings  nearly  horizontally  when  at  rest.  The  feelers  are  gener- 
ally very  long,  flattened  sidewise,  and  more  or  less  turned  up 
at  the  end.  The  tongue  in  some  is  of  moderate  length,  in 
others  it  is  very  small  or  invisible.  The  antenna;  are  long  and 
generally  simple  or  bristle-formed  in  both  sexes;  in  some  males, 
however,  they  are  feathered,  and  in  a  few  others  they  have  a 
singular  knot  or  crook  in  the  middle.  The  legs  are  long  and 
slender;  and  the  first  pair  is  often  fringed  with  tufts  of  long 
hairs.  Most  of  these  moths  fly  at  night ;  a  few  are  on  the 
wing  in  the  daytime  also.  They  generally  prefer  moist  and 
shady  places,  where  the  long  grass  and  thick  foliage  shelter 
them  from  the  light  and  heat  of  the  sun.  Some  of  them  fre- 
quent houses.  The  meal-moth  [Pijralis  farinalis),  the  cater- 
pillar of  which  may  be  found  in  old  flour-barrels,  is  often  seen 
on  the  ceilings  of  rooms,  sitting  with  its  tail  curved  over  its 
back.  The  fore  wings  of  this  pretty  moth  are  light  brown, 
crossed  by  two  curved  white  lines,  and  with  a  dark  chocolate- 
brown  spot  on  the  base  and  tip  of  each.  The  tabby,  or  grease- 
moth  [Ag-lossa  pinguinalis),  the  larva  of  which  lives  in  greasy 
animal  substances,  is  also  to  be  found  in  houses,  and  is  known 
by  its  narrow  glossy  wings,  of  a  smoky  gray  color,  crossed  by 
wavy  lighter  colored  bands;  its  tongue  is  not  visible.  The 
motions  of  some  of  the  day-flying  kinds  {Siina'elhis)  are  very 
curious.  When  they  alight  upon  a  leaf,  they  whirl  round 
sidewise,  in  a  circular  direction,  with  the  head  in  the  centre  of 
the  circle,  and  then  return  in  the  contrary  direction,  and  repeat 
these  gyrations  several  times  in  succession. 

The  larvce  or  caterpillars  of  the  Delta-moths  are  long  and 
slender,  tapering  at  each  end,  and  naked,  or  with  only  a  few 
short  hairs,  which  are  rarely  visible  to  the  naked  eye.     Some 


373  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

of  them  have  sixteen  legs,  others  have  only  fourteen.  The 
latter  creep  very  much  like  the  span-worms,  but  are  more 
active  and  quick  in  their  motions.  Most  of  them  live  exposed 
upon  or  under  the  leaves  of  plants,  and,  when  they  come  to 
their  fall  growth,  they  enclose  themselves  in  cocoons  formed 
of  folded  leaves  thinly  lined  with  silk,  in  which  they  undergo 
their  transformations.  Some  kinds  [Hydrocampa  and  Petro- 
pliila)  live  in  the  water  upon  aquatic  plants,  and  secure  them- 
selves in  cylindrical  leafy  cases,  fitted  to  cover  the  whole  of 
the  body  except  the  head  and  six  fore  legs,  and  made  air-tight. 
These  cases  prevent  the  water  from  getting  into  the  lateral 
breathing-holes  of  the  caterpillars,  and  contain  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  air  for  them  to  breathe;  and,  with  them,  they  can 
easily  move  about  under  the  surface,  upon  the  plants  which 
serve  them  for  food.  Some  of  the  aquatic  kinds  do  not  make 
these  air-tight  cases,  for  they  do  not  need  them,  as  they  breathe 
through  fringed  gills,  placed  along  the  sides  of  their  bodies. 
Thus  we  see  that  even  aquatic  plants  are  inhabited  by  pecu- 
liar tribes  of  insects,  which  keep  in  check  their  redundant 
vegetation,  and  which  are  fitted,  by  extraordinary  and  curious 
contrivances,  for  the  element  wherein  they  are  appointed  to 
live.  These  aquatic  insects  stand  on  the  limits  of  the  order, 
and  connect  the  Lepidoptera  with  the  Neuroptera,  by  means 
of  the  May-flies  (Phri/g-aneada)  belonging  to  the  latter  order. 
Those  caterpillars  of  the  Pyralidcs  that  have  only  fourteen 
legs,  may  be  called  Herminians  (HERMiNiADiE),  after  the  prin- 
cipal genus  in  the  group.  The  hop-vine  is  often  infested  by 
great  numbers  of  these  caterpillars.  They  eat  large  holes  in 
the  leaves,  and  thereby  sometimes  greatly  injure  the  plant. 
Caterpillars  of  this  kind  have  also  been  observed  on  the  hop 
in  Europe,  from  whence  ours  may  have  been  introduced ;  but 
until  specimens  from  Europe  and  this  country  are  compared 
together,  in  all  their  states,  it  will  be  well  to  consider  the  latter 
as  distinct.  Our  hop-vine  caterpillars  are  false-loopers,  bending 
up  the  back  a  little  when  they  creep,  because  the  first  pair  of 
proplegs,  found  in  other  caterpillars,  is  wanting  in  them.  The 
rings  of  their  bodies  are  rather  prominent,  the  cross-lines 
between  them  being  deep.     They  are  of  a  green  color,  with 


LEPIDOPTERA.  373 

■hvo  longitudinal  white  lines  along  the  back,  a  dark  green  lino 
in  the  middle  between  them,  and  an  indistinct  whitish  line  on 
each  side  of  the  body.  The  head  is  green,  and  very  regularly 
spotted  with  minute  black  dots,  from  each  of  which  arises  a 
very  short  hair.  There  are  similar  dots  and  hairs  arranged  in 
two  transverse  rows  on  each  of  the  rings.  When  disturbed 
they  bend  their  bodies  suddenly  and  with  a  jerk,  first  on  one 
side  and  then  on  the  other,  each  time  leaping  to  a  considerable 
distance,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  catch  or  hold  them.  They 
make  no  webs  on  the  leaves,  and  do  not  suspend  themselves 
by  silken  threads  like  the  Geometers ;  but  they  are  very  ac- 
tive, creep  fast,  and  soon  get  upon  the  leaves  again  after  leap- 
ing off.  When. fully  grown  they  are  about  eight  tenths  of  an 
inch  long.  They  then  form  a  thin,  imperfect,  silky  cocoon 
within  a  folded  leaf,  or  in  some  crevice  or  sheltered  spot,  and 
are  changed  to  brownish  chrysalids,  which  present  nothing 
remarkable  in  their  appearance.  Three  weeks  afterwards  the 
moths  come  forth  from  these  cocoons.  There  are  two  broods 
of  these  insects  in  the  course  of  the  summer.  The  caterpillars 
of  the  first  brood  appear  in  May  and  June,  and  are  transformed 
to  moths  towards  the  end  of  June,  and  during  the  early  part 
of  July.  Those  of  the  second  brood  appear  in  July  and  Au- 
gust, and  are  changed  to  moths  in  September.  The  insects 
of  the  second  brood  are  much  the  most  numerous  usually,  and 
do  much  more  damage  to  the  hop-vine  than  the  others.  The 
moth  has  been  named  Hi/pena  Hunnili,  the  hop-vine  Hypena, 
upon  the  supposition  that  it  is  distinct  from  the  Hypena  ros- 
tralis,  or  hop-vine  snout-moth  of  Europe.  These  moths  are 
readily  known  by  their  long,  wide,  and  flattened  feelers,  which 
are  held  close  together,  and  project  horizontally  from  the  fore 
part  of  the  head,  in  the  manner  of  a  snout.  The  antennte  in 
both  sexes  are  naked,  and  bristle-formed.  The  wings  vary  in 
color,  being  sometimes  dusky  or  blackish  brown,  and  some- 
times of  a  much  lighter  rusty  brown  color.  The  fore  wings 
are  marbled  with  gray  beyond  the  middle,  and  have  a  distinct 
oblique  gray  spot  on  the  tip ;  they  are  crossed  by  two  wavy 
blackish  lines,  one  near  the  middle,  and  the  other  near  the 
outer  hind  margin  ;  these  lines  are  formed  by  little  elevated 


374  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

black  tufts,  and  there  are  also  two  similar  tufts  on  the  middle 
of  the  wing.  The  hind  wings  are  dusky  brown  or  light  brown, 
with  a  paler  fringe,  and  are  without  bands  or  spots.  The 
wings  expand  about  one  inch  and  a  quarter. 

Tlie  means  for  destroying  the  hop-vine  caterpillars  are 
showering  or  syringing  the  plants  with  strong  soapsuds,  or 
with  a  solution  of  oil-soap  in  water,  in  the  proportion  of  two 
pounds  of  the  soap  to  fourteen  or  fifteen  gallons  of  water. 

The  foregoing  is  the  only  kind  of  Delta-moth  that  appears 
to  be  particularly  injm-ious  to  any  of  our  useful  or  cultivated 
plants. 

5.  Leaf-rollers.     ( Tortrices.) 

There  are  many  caterpillars  that  curl  up  the  edges  of  the 
leaves  of  plants  into  little  cylindrical  rolls,  open  at  each  end, 
and  fastened  together  with  bands  or  threads  of  silk.  These 
rolls  serve  at  once  for  the  habitations  and  the  food  of  the 
insects;  and  to  the  latter  Linnaeus  gave  the  name  of  Tor- 
trices,  derived  from  a  Latin  word  signifying  to  curl  or  twist. 
All  the  caterpillars  now  put  in  this  tribe  are  not  leaf-rollers. 
Some  of  them  live  in  leaf  and  flower  buds,  and  fasten  the 
leaves  together  so  that  the  bud  cannot  open,  while  they  devour 
the  tender  substance  within.  Some  live  in  a  kind  of  tent 
formed  of  several  leaves,  drawn  together  and  secured  with 
silken  threads.  Others  are  found  in  the  tender  shoots  or  under 
the  bark  of  plants.  A  few  bore  into  young  fruits,  which  they 
cause  to  ripen  and  fall  prematurely.  A  still  smaller  number 
of  kinds  live  on  the  leaves  of  plants,  exposed  to  view,  and 
without  any  kind  of  covering  over  them.  Most  of  these 
insects,  when  disturbed,  let  themselves  down  by  threads,  like 
the  Geometers.  Very  few  of  them  make  cocoons;  the  greater 
number  transforming  within  the  rolled  leaves,  or  in  the  other 
situations  wherein  they  usually  dwell.  They  are  furnished 
with  sixteen  legs,  and  their  bodies  are  nearly  or  quite  naked. 
Many  of  their  chrysalids  have  two  rows  of  minute  prickles 
across  each  of  the  rings  of  the  hind  body,  by  the  help  of  which 
they  push  themselves  half  way  out  of  their  habitations,  when 
the  included  moths  are  about  to  come  forth. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  375 

The  moths  of  this  tribe  arc  mostly  of  small  size,  very  few  of 
them  expanding  more  than  one  inch.  They  carry  their  wings 
like  a  steep  roof  over  their  bodies  when  they  are  at  rest.  Their 
fore  wings  are  very  much  curved,  and  are  very  broad  at  the 
shoulders,  and  hence  these  insects  are  called  Platt/omides,  that 
is,  broad  shoulders,  by  the  French  naturalists.  These  wings 
are  generally  very  prettily  banded  and  spotted,  and  are  some- 
times ornamented  with  brilliant  metallic  spots.  The  hind 
wings  are  plain,  and  of  a  uniform  dusky  or  grayish  color,  and 
the  inner  edge  is  folded  like  a  fan  against  the  side  of  the  body. 
Their  antennae  are  naked  or  threadlike.  Their  feelers,  two  in 
number,  are  broad,  of  moderate  length,  or  project  like  a  short 
beak  in  front  of  the  head,  and  are  never  curved  upwards.  The 
spiral  tongue  is  mostly  short  and  sometimes  invisible.  The 
body  is  rather  short  and  thick,  and  the  legs  are  also  much 
shorter  in  proportion  than  in  the  Delta-moths.  These  little 
moths  fly  only  in  the  evening  and  night,  and  remain  at  rest 
during  the  day  upon  or  near  the  plants  inhabited  by  their 
caterpillars.  They  are  most  abundant  in  midsummer,  but 
certain  species  appear  in  the  spring  or  autumn.  The  habits 
of  the  Tortrices,  in  all  their  states,  are  not  yet  known  well 
enough  to  enable  us  to  group  the  insects  together  under  family 
names. 

The  caterpillars  of  some  of  our  largest  species  are  found  on 
the  ends  of  the  branches  of  various  trees  and  bushes,  in  nests, 
made  of  the  young  leaves  drawn  together  in  bunches,  and 
fastened  with  threads.  In  the  middle  of  these  nests  the  cater- 
pillars live,  either  singly,  or  in  companies  of  several  individuals 
together.  Nests  of  this  kind,  containing  a  large  number  of 
caterpillars,  may  often  be  seen  on  oak-trees  in  the  summer. 
The  chrysalids  force  their  way  partly  out  of  the  nests  by  the 
help  of  the  transverse  rows  of  prickles  on  their  backs,  when  the 
moths  are  about  to  make  their  escape.  The  moths  resemble 
in  form  and  general  appearance  those  of  another  species,  the 
caterpillars  of  which  live  singly  in  much  smaller  nests,  on 
apple-trees  and  rose-bushes.  Early  in  May,  or  soon  after  the 
buds  of  the  apple-tree  begin  to  open,  these  little  caterpillars 
begin  their  labors.    They  curl  up  and  fasten  together  the  small 


976  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  tender  leaves  that  supply  them  both  with  shelter  and  food; 
and  in  tiiis  way,  they  often  do  considerable  damage  to  the 
trees.  Tliese  caterpillars  are  sometimes  of  a  pale  green  color, 
with  the  head  and  the  top  of  the  first  ring  brownish;  and 
sometimes  the  whole  body  is  brownish  or  dull  flesh-red;  they 
arc  rough  to  the  touch  with  minute  warts,  each  of  which  pro- 
duces a  very  short  hair,  invisible  to  the  naked  eye.  They  come 
to  their  full  size  towards  the  middle  of  Juno,  and  then  measure 
nearly  or  quite  half  an  inch  in  length.  After  this,  they  line 
the  inner  surface  of  the  curled  leaves,  composing  their  nests, 
with  a  web  of  silk,  and  are  then  changed  to  chrysalids  of  a 
dark  brown  color.  Towards  the  end  of  June,  or  early  in  July, 
the  chrysalis  pushes  itself  half  way  out  of  its  nest,  and  bursts 
open  at  the  upper  end,  so  that  the  moth  may  come  out.  The 
moth  closely  resembles  the  Lozotccnia*  oporana  of  Europe,  but 
differs  from  it  in  having  the  fore  wings  broader  at  the  base, 
more  curved  on  the  front  edge,  and  more  hooked  at  the  tip, 
and  its  markings  are  also  somewhat  different.  It  may  be 
called  Loxotccnia  Rosaceana,  the  oblique  banded  moth  of  the 
Rose  tribe,  for  to  the  latter  the  apple-tree  belongs  as  well  as 
the  rose.  The  fore  wings  of  this  moth  are  very  much  arched 
on  their  outer  edge,  and  curve  in  the  contrary  direction  at  the 
tip,  like  a  little  hook  or  short  tail.  They  are  of  a  light  cinna- 
mon-brown color,  crossed  with  little  wavy  darker  brown  lines, 
and  with  three  broad  oblique  dark  brown  bands,  whereof  one 
covers  the  base  of  the  wing,  and  is  oftentimes  indistinct  or 
wanting,  the  second  crosses  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  the 
third,  which  is  broad  on  the  front  edge  and  narrow  behind,  is 
near  the  outer  hind  margin  of  the  wing.  The  hind  wings  are 
ochre-yellow,  with  the  folded  part  next  to  the  body  blackish. 
It  expands  one  inch  or  a  little  more. 

Little  caterpillars  of  another  species  are  sometimes  found 
in  May  and  June  in  the  opening  buds  and  among  the  tender 

*  This  word  was  probably  an  error  of  the  press  in  the  '*  Catalogue"  of  Mr. 
Stephens,  by  whom  the  genus  was  proposed.  It  has,  however,  been  copied  in 
several  other  works  by  other  authors,  without  correction  or  comment.  Loxo- 
taenia,  meaning  oblique  band,  seems  to  be  the  right  name  for  the  moths  of  this 
genus,  which  are  distinguished  by  the  oblique  bands  on  their  fore  wings. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  377 

leaves  of  the  apple-tree.  They  live  singly  in  the  buds,  the 
leaves  of  which  they  fasten  together  and  then  devour.  These 
caterpillars  arc  of  a  pale  and  dull  brownish  color,  warty  and 
slightly  downy  like  the  foregoing  kind,  with  the  head  and  the 
top  of  the  first  ring  dark  shining  brown ;  and  a  dark  l)rown 
spot  appears  through  the  skin  on  the  top  of  the  eighth  ring. 
They  generally  come  to  their  growth  by  the  middle  of  June, 
and  are  changed  to  shining  brown  chrysalids  within  the  curled 
leaves,  in  a  little  web  of  silk,  wherewith  their  retreats  are  lined. 
The  chrysalis  has  only  one  row  of  prickles  across  the  rings  of  the 
back.  The  moths  come  ont  early  in  July.  They  very  closely 
resemble  the  European  Penthina  comitana*  and  perhaps  may 
be  merely  a  variety  of  it.  The  head  and  thorax  are  dark  ash- 
colored.  The  fore  wings  are  of  the  same  color  at  each  end, 
and  grayish  white  in  the  middle,  mottled  with  dark  gray ; 
there  are  two  small  eye-like  spots  on  each  of  them ;  one  near 
the  tip,  consisting  of  four  little  black  marks,  placed  close 
together  in  a  row,  on  a  light  brown  ground,  the  inner  marks 
being  longer  than  the  others ;  the  second  eye-spot  is  near  the 
inner  hind  angle,  and  is  formed  by  three  minute  black  spots, 
arranged  in  a  triangle,  in  the  middle  of  which  there  is  some- 
times a  black  dot.  The  hind  wings  are  dusky  brown.  This 
moth  expands  from  one  half  to  six  tenths  of  an  inch.  It  may 
be  called  Penthina  ocidana,  the  eye-spotted  Penthina.  My 
attention  was  called  to  the  depredations  of  this  bud-moth,  and 
of  the  preceding  species,  by  John  Owen,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge, 
by  whom  the  moths  were  raised  from  the  caterpillars,  and 
presented  to  me.  It  is  difficult  at  first  to  conceive  how  such 
insignificant  creatures  can  occasion  so  much  mischief  as  they 
are  found  to  do.  This  seems  to  arise  from  the  number  of  the 
insects,  and  their  mode  of  attack,  whereby  the  opening  foliage 
is  checked  in  its  growth  or  nipped  in  the  bud.  To  pull  off 
and  crush  the  withered  clusters  of  leaves  containing  the  cater- 
pillars or  the  chrysalids,  is  the  only  remedy  that  occurs  to  me. 
It  were  to  be  wished  that  some  better  way  of  putting  a  stop 


*  Spilonota  comitana,  Stc^^hcns;  Facilochroma  comitana,  Curtis;   Penthina  lus- 
cana,  Duponchel. 

48 


378  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

to  the  ravages  of  the  leaf-rollers  and  bud-moths,  that  infest 
many  of  our  fruit-trees  and  flowering  shrubs,  could  be  dis- 
covered. 

Apricot,  peach,  and  plum  trees,  when  trained  against  walls 
in  the  open  air,  are  said  to  suffer  very  much  sometimes  from 
the  attacks  of  insects  whose  habits  resemble  those  of  the  eye- 
spotted  Penthina.  But,  as  I  have  not  yet  seen  them  in  the 
moth  state,  I  cannot  say  whether  they  are  of  the  same  species 
as  the  bud-moth  above  named.  Perhaps  they  are  identical 
with  the  apricot-bud  caterpillars  [Ditula  ang-ustiorana)  of  Eu- 
rope, the  depredations  of  which  have  been  described  by  Mi'. 
AVestwood  in  the  fourteenth  volume  of  the  "  Gardener's  Mag- 
azine." Besides  picking  off  the  curled  and  confined  clusters 
of  leaves,  when  practicable,  I  would  recommend  thoroughly 
drenching  the  trees  with  Mr.  Haggerston's  remedy,  a  pound  of 
oil-soap  in  from  seven  to  ten  gallons  of  water,  in  the  hope  that 
some  of  the  mixture  might  penetrate  the  injured  buds  and 
leaves,  and  destroy  the  caterpillars  concealed  therein.  A  mix- 
ture of  one  gallon  of  the  liquor  expressed  by  tobacconists  from 
tobacco,  with  five  gallons  of  water,  has  been  used  to  the  same 
intent. 

Roses  are  infested  with  several  kinds  of  caterpillars  belong- 
ing to  this  tribe.  Mr.  Westwood  has  described  one  of  them, 
and  mentions  others  that  are  found  in  Europe,  in  the  thir- 
teenth volume  of  the  "  Gardener's  Magazine."  Similar  species 
are  not  uncommon  in  this  country.  Some  of  these  spoilers 
fasten  upon  the  leaves,  and  roll  them  up,  or  stick  them  together, 
to  serve  them  for  food  and  shelter;  while  others  lurk  unseen 
in  the  flower-buds,  and  canker  them  to  the  heart,  before  they 
can  spread  their  lovely  petals  to  the  sun,  and  breathe  out  their 
fragrance  to  the  air.  A  particular  description  of  each  of  these 
insects  would  occupy  too  much  space  here ;  and  I  can  only 
add  that  the  worm  in  the  bud  is  to  be  destroyed  only  by  hand. 
Pine  and  fir  trees  are  also  injured  by  some  of  the  Tortrices^ 
that  pierce  the  tender  shoots  and  terminal  buds.  The  seat  of 
their  depredations  becomes  known  by  the  oozing  of  the  resin 
and  by  the  withering  of  the  bud  or  shoot.  The  latter  com- 
monly dies  in  consequence  of  the  injury,  the  upward  growth 


LEPIDOPTERA.  379 

is  checked,  and  the  stem  only  puts  forth  side  shoots  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Some  one  of  these  side  shoots,  in  time,  takes 
the  place  of  the  leading  shoot,  and  thus  gives  to  the  trunk  an 
irregular  and  crooked  appearance,  and  renders  it  unfit  for  tim- 
ber. The  history  of  several  European  Tortrices  or  turpentine- 
moths,  that  thus  injure  pines  and  firs,  is  given  in  Kollar's 
"  Treatise,"  wherein  we  are  advised  to  search  for  the  lumps  of 
turpentine  in  the  autumn,  and  destroy  the  caterpillars  under 
them,  or  to  cut  off  the  injured  shoots  and  burn  them  with  their 
inhabitants.  This  advice  it  may  be  proper  for  us  to  follow, 
although  it  is  not  yet  certain  that  our  turpentine-moths  are 
actually  the  same  as  those  of  Europe. 

Among  the  insects,  that  have  been  brought  to  America  with 
other  productions  of  Europe,  may  be  mentioned  the  apple- 
worm,  as  it  is  here  called,  which  has  become  naturalized 
wherever  the  apple-tree  has  been  introduced.  This  mischiev- 
ous creature  has  sometimes  been  mistaken  for  the  plum- 
weevil  {Rlujnchamis  Conotrachelns  iVew/77/mr),  described  in  an- 
other part*  of  this  treatise;  but  it  may  be  easily  distinguished 
therefrom  by  its  shape,  its  habits,  and  its  transformations. 
Although  the  plum-weevil  prefers  stone  fruit,  it  is  sometimes 
found  in  apples  also ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  apple-worm  has 
never  been  found  here  in  plums.  It  is  not  a  grub,  but  a  true 
caterpillar,  belonging  to  the  Tortrix  tribe,  and  in  due  time,  is 
changed  to  a  moth,  called  Carpocapsa  Pomonella,j  the  codling- 
moth,  or  fruit-moth  of  the  apple.  An  anonymous  writer,  in 
the  "  Entomological  Magazine"  $  of  London,  has  well  re- 
marked that  this  moth  "is  the  most  beautiful  of  the  beautiful 
tribe  to  which  it  belongs;  yet,  from  its  habits  not  being  known, 
it  is  seldom  seen  in  the  moth  state ;  and  the  apple-grower 
knows  no  more  than  the  man  in  the  moon  to  what  cause  he 


*  Page  66. 

t  Tinea  Pomonella,  L. ;  Pyralis  Pomana,  F.  If  the  modern  name  of  the  genus 
be  correct,  it  was  probably  formed  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  to  devour 
fruit.  Perhaps  the  name  should  have  been  Carpocampa,  that  is,  in  English, 
fruit-caterpillar. 

+  Yol.  I.,  page  144. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

is  indebted  for  his  basketfuls  of  worm-eaten  windfalls  in  the 
stillest  weather." 

The  apple-worm  has  been  long  known  in  Europe,  and  its 
history  has  been  written  by  Rosel,  Reaumm*,  KoUar,  West- 
wood,*  and  other  Em'opean  natm-alists.  A  good  account  of 
it,  and  of  its  transformations,  by  Joseph  Tufts,  Esq.,  of 
Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  was  published  in  the  year  1819, 
in  the  fifth  volume  of  "  The  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Re- 
pository and  Journal ;"  and  Mr.  Joseph  Burrelle,  of  Quincy, 
Massachusetts,  has  also  made  some  remarks  on  the  same 
insect,  in  the  eighteenth  volume  of  "  The  New  England 
Farmer."!  At  various  times,  between  the  middle  of  June 
and  the  first  of  July,  the  apple-worm  moths  may  be  found. 
They  are  sometimes  seen  in  houses  in  the  evening,  trying  to 
get  through  the  windows  into  the  open  air,  having  been 
brought  in  with  fruit  while  they  were  in  the  caterpillar  state. 
Their  fore  wings,  when  seen  at  a  distance,  have  somewhat  the 
appearance  of  brown  watered  silk  ;  when  closely  examined 
they  will  be  found  to  be  crossed  by  numerous  gray  and  brown 
lines,  scalloped  like  the  plumage  of  a  bird;  and  near  the  hind 
angle  there  is  a  large,  oval,  dark  brown  spot,  the  edges  of 
which  are  of  a  bright  cop])er  color.  The  head  and  thorax  are 
brown  mingled  with  gray ;  and  the  hind  wings  and  abdomen 
are  light  yellowish  brown,  with  the  lustre  of  satin.  Its  wings 
expand  three  quarters  of  an  inch.  This  insect  is  readily  dis- 
tinguished from  other  moths  by  the  large,  oval,  brown  spot, 
edged  with  copper  color,  on  the  hinder  margin  of  each  of  the 
fore  wings.  During  the  latter  part  of  June  and  the  month  of 
Jidy,  these  fruit-moths  fly  about  apple-trees  every  evening,  and 
lay  their  eggs  on  the  young  fruit.  They  do  not  puncture 
the  a])ples,  but  they  drop  their  eggs,  one  by  one,  in  the  eye  or 
hollow  at  the  blossom-end  of  the  fruit,  where  the  skin  is  most 
tender.  They  seem  also  to  seek  for  early  fruit  rather  than  for 
the  late  kinds,  which  we  find  are  not  so  apt  to  be  wormy  as 


*  "  Gardener's  Magazine,"  Vol.  XIV.,  p.  234. 

t  Pago  398.     Sec  also  some  remarks  on  this  insect  in  my  "  Discourse  before 
the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  in  1832,"  page  42. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  381 

the  thin-skinned  summer  apples.  The  eggs  begin  to  hatch  in 
a  few  clays  after  they  arc  laid,  and  the  little  apple-worms  or 
caterpillars  produced  from  them  immediately  burrow  into  the 
apples,  making  their  way  gradually  from  the  eye  towards  the 
core.  Commonly  only  one  worm  will  be  found  in  the  same 
apple ;  and  it  is  so  small  at  first,  that  its  presence  can  only  be 
detected  by  the  brownish  powder  it  throws  out  in  eating  its 
way  through  the  eye.  The  body  of  the  young  insect  is  of  a 
whitish  color ;  its  head  is  heart-shaped  and  l)lack ;  the  top  of 
the  first  ring  or  collar  and  of  the  last  ring  is  also  black ;  and 
there  are  eight  little  blackish  dots  or  warts,  arranged  in  pairs, 
on  each  of  the  other  rings.  As  it  grows  older  its  body  be- 
comes flesh-colored  ;  its  head,  the  collar,  and  the  top  of  the 
last  ring,  turn  brown,  and  the  dots  are  no  longer  to  be  seen. 
In  the  course  of  three  weeks,  or  a  little  more,  it  comes  to  its 
full  size,  and  meanwhile  has  buiTowed  to  the  core  and  through 
the  apple  in  various  directions.  To  get  rid  of  the  refuse  frag- 
ments of  its  food,  it  gnaws  a  round  hole  through  the  side  of 
the  apple,  and  thrusts  them  out  of  the  opening.  Through  this 
hole  also  the  insect  makes  its  escape  after  the  apple  falls  to 
the  ground;  and  the  falling  of  the  fruit  is  well  known  to  be 
hastened  by  the  injury  it  has  received  within,  which  generally 
causes  it  to  ripen  before  its  time. 

Soon  after  the  half-gi'own  apples  drop,  and  sometimes  while 
they  are  still  hanging,  the  worms  leave  them  and  creep  into 
chinks  in  the  bark  of  the  trees  or  into  other  sheltered  places, 
which  they  hollow  out  with  their  teeth  to  suit  their  shape. 
Here  each  one  sj)ins  for  itself  a  cocoon  or  silken  case,  as  thin, 
delicate,  and  white  as  tissue  paper.  Some  of  the  apple-worms, 
probably  the  earliest,  are  said  by  KoUar  to  change  to  chrysa- 
lids  immediately  after  their  cocoons  are  made,  and  in  a  few 
days  more  turn  to  moths,  come  out,  and  lay  their  eggs  for  a 
second  generation  of  the  worms ;  and  hence  much  fruit  will 
be  found  to  be  worm-eaten  in  the  autumn.  Most  of  the  in- 
sects, however,  remain  in  their  cocoons  through  the  winter, 
and  are  not  changed  to  moths  till  the  following  summer.  The 
chrysalis  is  of  a  bright  mahogany-brown  color,  and  has,  as 
usual,  across  each  of  the  rings  of  its  hind  body,  two  rows  of 


382  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

prickles,  by  the  help  of  which  it  forces  its  way  through  the 
cocoon  before  the  moth  comes  forth. 

As  the  apple-worms  instinctively  leave  the  fruit  soon  after 
it  falls  from  the  trees,  it  will  be  proper  to  gather  up  all  wind- 
fallen  apples  daily,  and  make  such  immediate  use  of  them  as 
will  be  sure  to  kill  the  insects,  before  they  have  time  to  escape. 
Mr.  Burrelie  says  that  if  any  old  cloth  is  wound  around  or 
hung  in  the  crotches  of  the  trees,  the  apple-worms  will  conceal 
themselves  therein  ;  and  by  this  means  thousands  of  them  may 
be  obtained  and  destroyed,  from  the  time  when  they  first  be- 
gin to  leave  the  apples,  until  the  fruit  is  gathered.  By  care- 
fully scraping  ofl'  the  loose  and  rugged  bark  of  the  trees,  in  the 
spring,  many  chrysalids  will  be  destroyed ;  and  it  has  been 
said  that  the  moths,  when  they  are  about  laying  their  eggs, 
may  be  smothered  or  driven  away,  by  the  smoke  of  weeds 
burned  under  the  trees.  The  worms,  often  found  in  summer 
pears,  appear  to  be  the  same  as  those  that  affect  apples,  and 
are  to  be  kept  in  check  by  the  same  means.  Cranberries  are 
likewise  affected  by  worms,  altogether  similar  to  apple-worms. 

6.     TiNE.E. 

The  word  moth  was  formerly  used  in  a  much  more  restricted 
sense  than  it  now  is.  It  was  originally  given  to  the  cater- 
pillars of  certain  insects,  called  Tine.e  by  Linnreus,  and  well- 
known  as  the  destroyers  of  clothing  and  of  other  household 
stuffs.  In  this  sense  we  find  it  used  in  our  version  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  in  the  works  of  old  English  writers.  It  occurs, 
with  very  little  change,  in  other  languages  also,  and  seems  to 
have  been  derived  from  a  word  signifying  to  gnaw  or  to  eat.* 
Nearly  all  the  moth-worms,  or  caterpillars  belonging  to  the 
tribe  of  Tineae,  gnaw  holes  or  winding  paths  in  the  substances 
wherein  they  live.  Some  of  the  fragments  they  devour,  and 
the  rest  they  fasten  together,  with  a  few  silken  threads,  so  as 
to  shelter  or  clothe  their  tender  bodies.  With  these  materials 
some  of  them  make  cylindrical  burrows,  through  which  they 


*  From  the  Gothic  maten,  to  gnaw,  and  from  matjan,  to  eat,  wc  have  the 
Anglo-Saxon  word  moik,  as  now  used,  and  matha,  a  maggot. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  383 

can  move  freely,  and  caiTy  on  the  work  of  destruction  unseen ; 
and  others,  with  the  same,  shape  for  themselves  various  kinds 
of  pods  or  cases,  large  enough  to  cover  their  bodies  entirely 
when  they  are  at  rest,  and  so  light  that  they  can  bear  them 
about  on  their  backs,  as  snails  do  their  shells.  Some  moth- 
worms  are  dark  colored  ;  but  most  of  them  are  of  a  dirty  white 
color,  with  a  brownish  head,  and  a  brown  spot  on  the  top  of 
the  first  ring.  They  are  either  wholly  naked,  or  have  only  a 
few  short  hairs  thinly  scattered  over  the  surface  of  their  bodies. 
They  generally  have  sixteen  legs.  Some,  however,  want  the 
first  pair  of  proplegs,  having  only  fourteen  in  all.  They  un- 
derofo  their  transformations  in  the  burrows  or  cases  that  have 
served  them  for  habitations,  either  with  or  witiiout  the  addi- 
tional covering  of  a  cocoon  spun  within  their  places  of  abode. 
The  chrysalids  are  of  a  brown  color,  and  are  rather  more  slen- 
der than  those  of  other  moths.  In  the  winged  state  they  vary 
greatly  both  in  form  and  color.  They  all  agree,  however,  in 
having  the  wings  long  and  narrow,  and  folded  or  wrapped 
around  the  body,  more  or  less  closely,  when  they  are  at  rest. 
Their  antennae  are  bristle-shaped,  and  very  rarely  feathered  in 
either  sex.  Some  of  them  have  four  feelers,  others  only  two ; 
and  the  spiral  tongue  is  short.  Most  of  these  winged  moths 
are  very  small ;  indeed,  the  least  of  the  Lepidoptera  belong  to 
this  tribe.  They  have  been  divided  by  some  naturalists  into 
two,  and  by  others  into  three  groups,  namely,  Crambida:,  Ypo- 
nomeutadce,  and  Tineada,  the  difterences  between  which  it  is 
not  necessary  particularly  to  notice  in  this  place. 

Some  moth-worms  burrow  into  leaves,  and  make  winding 
passages  in  the  pulpy  substance  thereof,  under  the  skin ;  some 
bore  into  the  stems  of  plants ;  and  a  few  are  found  only  on 
the  surface  of  leaves,  or  on  roots.  Living  plants,  however, 
form  but  a  small  part  of  the  food  of  the  Tineee,  most  of  which 
subsist  on  other  substances;  and,  for  this  reason,  they  would 
have  been  passed  by  without  further  notice,  were  it  not  for  the 
depredations  of  certain  species  on  some  of  our  most  valuable 
possessions.  Most  of  these  pests  are  foreign  insects,  and  have 
been  introduced  into  this  country  from  abroad;  it  will  not, 
therefore,  be  in  my  power  to  oficr  any  thing  absolutely  new 


384  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

about  them.  Nevertheless,  a  few  remarks  on  some  of  the 
most  remarkable  or  destructive  of  these  moths  may  not  be 
wholly  useless  or  unacceptable  to  those  persons  for  whom  this 
treatise  was  particularly  designed. 

The  largest  insects  of  this  tribe  belong  to  the  group  called 
Cramijid.e,  or  Crambians,  among  which  the  bee-moth  or  wax- 
moth  is  to  be  placed.  This  pernicious  insect  was  well  known 
to  the  ancients,  and  we  find  it  mentioned,  under  the  name  of 
Tinea,  in  the  works  of  Virgil  and  Columella,*  old  Roman 
writers  on  husbandry.  In  the  winged  state,  the  male  and 
female  differs  so  much  in  size,  color,  and  in  the  form  of  their 
fore  wings,  that  they  were  supposed,  by  Linnceus  and  by 
some  other  naturalists,  to  be  different  species,  and  accordingly 
received  two  different  names.f  To  avoid  confusion,  it  will  be 
best  to  adopt  the  scientific  name  given  to  the  bee-moth  by 
Fabricius,  who  called  it  Galleria  cereana,  that  is,  the  wax 
Galleria,  because,  in  its  caterpillar  state,  it  eats  beeswax. 
Doubtless  it  was  first  brought  to  this  country,  with  the  com- 
mon hive-bee,  from  Europe,  where  it  is  very  abundant,  and 
does  much  mischief  in  hives.  Very  few  of  the  Tinece  exceed 
or  even  equal  it  in  size.  In  its  perfect  or  adult  state  it  is  a 
winged  moth  or  miller,  measuring,  from  the  head  to  the  tip  of 
the  closed  wings,  from  five  eighths  to  three  quarters  of  an  inch 
in  length,  and  its  wings  expand  from  one  inch  and  one  tenth 
to  one  inch  and  four  tenths.  The  feelers  are  two  in  number; 
and  the  tongue  is  very  short,  and  hardly  visible.  The  fore 
wings  shut  together  flatly  on  the  top  of  the  back,  slope  steeply 
downwards  at  the  sides,  and  are  turned  up  at  the  end,  some- 
what like  the  tail  of  a  fowl.  This  resemblance  probably  sug- 
gested the  name  of  the  genus,  Galleria,  which  seems  to  have 
been  derived  from  the  Latin  word  for  a  fowl.  The  male  is  of 
a  dasty  gray  color;  his  fore  wings  are  more  or  less  glossed  and 
streaked  with  purj)le-brown  on  the  outer  edge,  they  have  a 
few  dark  brown  spots  near  the  inner  margin,  and  they  are 
scalloped  or  notched  inwardly  at  the  end;  his  hind  wings  are 

*  Virgil.    Georgic  IV.,  line  246.     Columella.    Husbandry,  Book  IX.,  chap.  14. 
t  Torliix  cereana,  the  male  ;    Tinea  mellonclla,  the  female. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  385 

light  yellowish  gray,  with  whitish  fringes.  The  female  is 
much  larger  than  the  male,  and  much  darker  colored ;  her  fore 
wings  are  proportionally  longer,  not  so  deeply  notched  on  the 
outer  hind  margin,  and  not  so  much  turned  up  at  the  end ; 
they  are  more  tinged  with  purple-brown,  sprinkled  with  darker 
spots;  and  the  hind  wings  are  dirty  or  grayish  white.  There 
are  two  broods  of  these  insects  in  the  course  of  a  year.  Some 
winged  moths  of  the  first  brood  begin  to  appear  towards  the 
end  of  April,  or  early  in  May;  those  of  the  second  brood  are 
most  abundant  in  August;  but  between,  these  periods,  and 
even  later,  others  come  to  perfection,  and  consequently  some 
of  them  may  be  found  during  the  greater  part  of  the  summer. 
By  day  they  remain  quiet  on  the  sides  or  in  the  crevices  of  the 
bee-house ;  but,  if  disturbed  at  this  time,  they  open  their  wings 
a  little,  and  spring  or  glide  swiftly  away,  so  that  it  is  very 
difficult  to  seize  or  to  hold  them.  In  the  evening  they  take 
wing,  when  the  bees  are  at  rest,  and  hover  around  the  hive, 
till,  having  found  the  door,  they  go  in  and  lay  their  eggs. 
Those  that  are  prevented  by  the  crowd,  or  by  any  other  cause, 
from  getting  within  the  hive,  lay  their  eggs  on  the  outside,  or 
on  the  stand,  and  the  little  worm-like  caterpillars  hatched 
therefrom  easily  creep  into  the  hive  through  the  cracks,  or 
gnaw  a  passage  for  themselves  under  the  edges  of  it.  These 
caterpillars,  at  first,  are  not  thicker  than  a  thread.  They  have 
sixteen  legs.  Their  bodies  are  soft  and  tender,  and  of  a  yel- 
lowish white  color,  sprinkled  with  a  few  little  brownish  dots, 
from  each  of  which  proceeds  a  short  hair;  their  heads  are 
brown  and  shelly,  and  there  are  two  brown  spots  on  the  top  of 
the  first  ring.  Weak  as  they  are,  and  unprovided  with  any 
natural  means  of  defence,  destined,  too,  to  dwell  in  the  midst 
of  the  populous  hive,  surrounded  by  watchful  and  well-armed 
enemies,  at  whose  expense  they  live,  they  are  taught  how  to 
shield  themselves  against  the  vengeance  of  the  bees,  and  pass 
safely  and  unseen  in  every  direction  through  the  waxen  cells, 
which  they  break  down  and  destroy.  Beeswax  is  their  only 
food,  and  they  prefer  the  old  to  the  new  comb,  and  are  always 
found  most  numerous  in  the  upper  part  of  the  hive,  where  the 
oldest  honeycomb  is  lodged.  It  is  not  a  little  wonderful,  that 
49 


386  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

these  insects  should  be  able  to  get  any  nourishment  from  wax, 
a  substance  which  other  animals  cannot  digest  at  all;  but  they 
are  created  with  an  appetite  for  it,  and  with  such  extraordinary 
powers  of  digestion,  that  they  thrive  well  upon  this  kind  of 
food.  As  soon  as  they  are  hatched  they  begin  to  spin;  and 
each  one  makes  for  itself  a  tough  silken  tube,  wherein  it  can 
easily  turn  around  and  move  backwards  or  forwards  at  pleasure. 
During  the  day  they  remain  concealed  in  their  silken  tubes ; 
but  at  night,  when  the  bees  cannot  see  them,  they  come  partly 
out,  and  devour  the  wax  within  their  reach.  As  they  increase 
in  size,  they  lengthen  and  enlarge  their  dwellings,  and  cover 
them  on  the  outside  with  a  coating  of  grains  of  wax  mixed 
with  their  own  castings,  which  resemble  gunpowder.  Pro- 
tected by  this  coating  from  the  stings  of  the  bees,  they  work 
their  way  through  the  combs,  gnaw  them  to  pieces,  and  fill 
the  hive  with  their  filthy  webs;  till  at  last  the  discouraged 
bees,  whose  diligence  and  skill  are  of  no  more  use  to  them  in 
contending  with  their  unseen  foes,  than  their  superior  size  and 
powerful  weapons,  are  compelled  to  abandon  their  perishing 
brood  and  their  wasted  stores,  and  leave  the  desolated  hive 
to  the  sole  possession  of  the  miserable  spoilers.  These  cater- 
pillars grow  to  the  length  of  an  inch  or  a  little  more,  and  come 
to  their  full  size  in  about  three  weeks.  They  then  spin  their 
cocoons,  which  are  strong  silken  pods,  of  an  oblong  oval  shape, 
and  about  one  inch  in  length,  and  are  often  clustered  together 
in  great  numbers  in  the  top  of  the  hive.  Some  time  after- 
wards, the  insects  in  these  cocoons  change  to  clirysalids  of  a 
light  brown  color,  rough  on  the  back,  and  wdth  an  elevated 
dark  brown  line  upon  it  from  one  end  to  the  other.  When  this 
transformation  happens  in  the  autumn,  the  insects  remain 
without  further  change  till  the  spring,  and  then  burst  open 
their  cocoons,  and  come  forth  with  wings.  Those  which 
become  chrysalids  in  the  early  part  of  summer  are  transformed 
to  winged  moths  fourteen  days  afterwards,  and  immediately 
pair,  lay  their  eggs,  and  die. 

Bees  suffer  most  from  the  depredations  of  these  insects  in 
hot  and  di-y  summers.  Strong  and  healthy  swarms,  provided 
with  a  constant  supply  of  food  near  home,  more  often  escape 


LEPIDOPTERA.  387 

than  small  and  weak  ones.  When  the  moth-worms  have 
established  themselves  in  a  hive,  their  presence  is  made  known 
to  us  by  the  little  fragments  of  wax  and  the  black  grains  scat- 
tered by  them  over  the  floor.  Means  should  then  be  taken, 
without  delay,  to  dislodge  the  depredators  and  invigorate  the 
swarm.  These  are  so  fully  described  in  Dr.  Thacher's  "  Trea- 
tise on  the  Management  of  Bees,"  and  in  other  works  on  the 
same  subject,  that  I  shall  limit  myself  to  a  few  remarks,  and 
refer  the  reader  for  further  particulars  to  these  works.  Kollar 
states  that  there  is  but  one  sure  method  of  clearing  bee-liives  of 
the  moth,  and  this  is  to  look  for  and  destroy  the  caterpillars  or 
moth-worms  and  the  chrysalids ;  and  he  advises  that  the  hives 
should  be  examined,  for  this  purpose,  once  a  week,  and  that 
all  the  webs  and  cocoons,  with  the  insects  in  them,  should  be 
taken  out  and  destroyed.  At  all  events,  the  examination 
ought  to  be  made  every  year,  early  in  September,  when  the 
cocoons  will  be  found  in  greater  numbers  than  at  any  other 
time,  and  should  be  carefully  removed  and  burned.  The 
winged  moths  are  very  fond  of  sweets;  and  if  shallow  vessels, 
containing  a  mixture  of  honey  or  sugar,  with  vinegar  and 
water,  are  placed  near  the  bee-house  in  the  evening,  the  moths 
will  get  into  them  and  be  drowned.  In  this  way  great  num- 
bers may  be  caught  every  night.  Several  kinds  of  hives  and 
bee-houses  have  been  contrived  and  recommended,  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  out  the  bee-moth ;  but  it  does  not  appear 
that  any  of  them  entirely  supersede  the  necessity  for  the 
measures  above  recommended. 

The  various  kinds  of  destructive  moths,  found  in  houses, 
stores,  barns,  granaries,  and  mills,  are  mostly  very  small  in- 
sects; the  largest  of  them,  when  arrived  at  maturity,  expand- 
ing their  wings  only  about  eight  tenths  of  an  inch.  The 
ravages  of  some  of  these  little  creatures  are  too  well  known 
to  need  a  particular  description.  Among  them  may  be  men- 
tioned the  clothes-moth  [Tinea  vesliaiieUa),  the  tapestry  or 
carpet-moth  ( T.  tapetzella),  the  fur-moth  {T.  pelHonella),  the 
hair-moth  ( T.  Cr ine lla),  a.nd  the  grain-moth  (T.^aweZ/a),  with 
some  others  belonging  to  a  group,  which  may  be  called 
Tineans  (Tinead.e)  ;  also  the  pack-moth  [Anacampsis  sard- 


388  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

tella),  which  is  very  destructive  to  wool  and  fabrics  made  of 
this  material,  and  the  Angoumois  grain-moth  (Butalis  cerea- 
lella),  both  of  which  are  to  be  included  among  the  Ypono- 
meutians.  In  the  cabinet  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural 
History  the  cases,  containing  the  large  and  beautiful  collection 
of  shells,  were  formerly  lined  with  fine  white  flannel.  In  this 
some  moths  soon  established  themselves,  multiplied  very  fast, 
and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  did  so  much  damage  that  it 
became  necessary  entirely  to  remove  the  moth-eaten  linings. 
In  their  winged  state  these  moths  were  of  a  light  buff  color, 
with  the  lustre  of  satin,  and  had  a  thick  orange-colored  tuft  on 
the  forehead;  the  wings  were  deeply  fringed,  and  the  first  pair 
were  lance-shaped,  and  expanded  rather  more  than  half  an 
inch.  This  species  agrees  very  well  with  the  description 
given,  by  the  old  naturalists,  of  the  Tinea  flavifronteUa*  or 
the  orange-fronted  Tinea,  and  with  Wood's  figure  of  Tinea 
destructor^  the  destroyer.  Should  it  prove  to  be  different  from 
these,  it  may  be  named  the  satin-buff'  moth.  Objects  of 
natural  history  are  very  apt  to  be  injured  by  another  moth, 
closely  resembling  the  foregoing,  and  differing  from  it  chiefly  in 
being  somewhat  smaller,  and  in  having  the  hind  wings  tinged 
with  gray.  Chocolate,  as  Reaumur  has  remarked,  is  devoured 
by  another  Tinea,  whose  little  silken  cases  are  often  seen  be- 
tween the  cakes,  and  I  have  also  found  them  in  chocolate  put 
up  in  tin  cases.  Other  articles  of  food  are  also  devoured  by 
some  of  these  Tineas,  and  even  our  books  are  not  spared  by 
them. 

The  Tineans,  in  the  winged  state,  have  four  short  and  slen- 
der feelers,  a  thick  tuft  on  the  forehead,  and  very  narrow  wings, 
which  are  deeply  fringed.  They  lay  their  eggs  mostly  in  the 
spring,  in  May  and  June,  and  die  immediately  afterwards. 
The  eggs  (according  to  Latreille  and  Duponchel,  from  whose 
works  the  following  remarks  are  chiefly  extracted)  are  hatched 
in  fifteen  days,  and  the  little  whitish  caterpillars  or  moth- 
worms  proceeding  therefrom  immediately  begin  to  gnaw  the 
substances  within  their  reach,  and  cover  themselves  with  the 

*  Not  the  Batia  flavifronteUa  of  the  English  entomologists. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  389 

fragments,  shaping  them  into  little  hollow  rolls  and  lining 
them  with  silk.  They  pass  the  summer  within  these  rolls, 
some  carrying  them  about  on  their  backs  as  they  move  along, 
and  others  fastening  them  to  the  substance  they  are  eating ; 
and  they  enlarge  them  from  time  to  time  by  adding  portions 
to  the  two  open  extremities,  and  by  gores  set  into  the  sides, 
which  they  slit  open  for  this  purpose.  Concealed  within  their 
movable  cases,  or  in  their  lint-covered  burrows,  they  carry  on 
the  work  of  destruction  through  the  summer ;  but  in  the  au- 
tumn they  leave  off  eating,  make  fast  their  habitations,  and 
remain  at  rest  and  seemingly  torpid  through  the  winter. 
Early  in  the  spring  they  change  to  chrysalids  within  their 
cases,  and  in  about  twenty  days  afterwards  are  transformed 
to  winged  moths,  and  come  forth,  and  fly  about  in  the  even- 
ing, till  they  have  paired  and  are  ready  to  lay  their  eggs. 
They  then  contrive  to  slip  through  cracks  into  dark  closets, 
chests,  and  drawers,  under  the  edges  of  carpets,  in  the  folds  of 
curtains  and  of  garments  hanging  up,  and  into  various  other 
places,  where  they  immediately  lay  the  foundation  for  a  new 
colony  of  destructive  moth-worms. 

Early  in  June  the  prudent  housekeeper  will  take  care  to 
beat  up  their  quarters  and  put  them  to  flight,  or  to  disturb 
them  so  as  to  defeat  their  designs  and  destroy  their  eggs  and 
young.  With  this  view  wardrobes,  closets,  drawers,  and 
chests  will  be  laid  open,  and  emptied  of  their  contents,  and  all 
w^oollen  garments,  and  bedding,  furs,  feathers,  carpets,  cur- 
tains, and  the  like,  will  be  removed  and  exposed  to  the  air, 
and  to  the  heat  of  the  sun,  for  several  hours  together,  and  will 
not  be  put  back  in  their  places  without  a  thorough  brushing, 
beating,  or  shaking.  By  these  means,  the  moths  and  their 
eggs  will  be  dislodged  and  destroyed.  In  old  houses,  that  are 
much  infested  by  moths,  the  cracks  in  the  floors,  in  the  wain- 
scot, around  the  waUs  and  shelves  of  closets,  and  even  in  the 
furniture  used  for  holding  clothes,  should  be  brushed  over  with 
spirits  of  turpentine.  Powdered  black  pepper,  strewed  under 
the  edges  of  carpets,  is  said  to  repel  moths.  Sheets  of  paper 
sprinkled  with  spirits  of  turpentine,  camphor  in  coarse  powder, 
leaves  of  tobacco,  or  shavings  of  Russia  leather,  should  be 


390  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

placed  among  the  clothes,  when  they  arc  laid  aside  for  the 
summer.  Furs,  plumes,  and  other  small  articles,  not  in  con- 
stant use,  are  best  preserved  by  being  put,  with  a  few  tobacco 
leaves,  or  bits  of  camphor,  into  bags  made  of  thick  brown 
paper,  and  closely  sewed  or  pasted  up  at  the  end.  Chests  of 
camphor-wood,  red  cedar,  or  of  Spanish  cedar,  are  found  to 
be  the  best  for  keeping  all  articles  from  moths  and  other  ver- 
min. The  cloth  linings  of  carriages  can  be  secured  for  ever 
from  the  attacks  of  moths  by  being  washed  or  sponged  on 
both  sides  with  a  solution  of  the  corrosive  sublimate  of  mer- 
cury in  alcohol,  made  just  strong  enough  not  to  leave  a  white 
stain  on  a  black  feather.  Moths  can  be  killed  by  fumigating 
the  article  containing  them  with  tobacco  smoke  or  with  sul- 
phur, or  by  shutting  it  in  a  tight  vessel  and  then  plunging  the 
latter  into  boiling  water,  or  exposing  it  to  steam,  for  the  space 
of  fifteen  minutes,  or  by  putting  it  into  an  oven  heated  to 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  degrees  of  Fahrenheit's  ther- 
mometer. 

Stored  grain  is  exposed  to  much  injury  from  the  depreda- 
tions of  two  little  moths,  in  Europe,  and  is  attacked  in  the 
same  way,  and  apparently  by  the  same  insects,  in  this  coun- 
try. Not  having  had  sufficient  opportunity  to  examine  these 
insects  myself,  I  have  been  obliged  to  rely  upon  the  accounts 
given  by  foreign  writers,  for  most  of  the  following  particulars 
respecting  their  history. 

The  European  grain-moth  {Tinea granella),  in  its  perfected 
state,  is  a  winged  insect,  between  three  and  four  tenths  of  an 
inch  long  from  the  head  to  the  tip  of  its  wings,  and  expands 
six  tenths  of  an  inch.  It  has  a  whitish  tuft  on  its  forehead ; 
its  long  and  narrow  wings  cover  its  back  like  a  sloping  roof, 
are  a  little  turned  up  behind,  and  are  edged  with  a  wide  fringe. 
Its  fore  wings  are  glossy  like  satin,  and  are  marbled  with  white 
or  gray,  light  brown,  and  dark  brown  or  blackish  spots,  and 
there  is  always  one  dark  square  spot  near  the  middle  of  the 
outer  edge.  Its  hind  wings  are  blackish.  Some  of  these 
winged  moths  appear  in  May,  others  in  July  and  August,  at 
which  times  they  lay  their  eggs ;  for  there  are  two  broods  of 
them  in  the  course  of  the  year.     The  young  from  the  first  laid 


LEPIDOPTERA.  391 

eggs  come  to  their  growth  and  finish  their  transformations  in 
six  weeks  or  two  months;  the  others  live  through  the  winter, 
and  turn  to  winged  moths  in  the  following  spring.  The  young 
moth-worms  do  not  burrow  into  the  grain,  as  has  been  asserted 
by  some  writers,  who  seem  to  have  confounded  them  with  the 
Angoumois  grain-worms;  but,  as  soon  as  they  are  hatched, 
they  begin  to  gnaw  the  grain  and  cover  themselves  with  the 
fragments,  which  they  line  with  a  silken  web.  As  they  in- 
crease in  size  they  fasten  together  several  grains  with  their 
webs,  so  as  to  make  a  larger  cavity,  wherein  they  live.  After 
a  while,  becoming  uneasy  in  their  confined  habitations,  they 
come  out,  and  wander  over  the  grain,  spinning  their  threads  as 
they  go,  till  they  have  found  a  suitable  place  wherein  to  make 
their  cocoons.  Thus,  wheat,  rye,  barley,  and  oats,  all  of  which 
they  attack,  will  be  found  full  of  lumps  of  graiiis  cemented 
together  by  these  corn- worms,  as  they  are  sometimes  called ; 
and  when  they  are  very  numerous,  the  whole  surface  of  the 
grain  in  the  bin  will  be  covered  with  a  thick  crust  of  webs  and 
of  adhering  grains.  These  destructive  corn-worms  are  really 
soft  and  naked  caterpillars,  of  a  cylindrical  shape,  tapering  a 
little  at  each  end,  and  are  provided  with  sixteen  legs,  the  first 
three  pairs  of  which  are  conical  and  jointed,  and  the  others 
fleshy  and  wart-like.  When  fully  grown,  they  measure  four 
or  five  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  are  of  a  light  ochre  or 
buff"  color,  with  a  reddish  head.  When  about  six  weeks  old, 
they  leave  the  grain,  and  get  into  cracks,  or  around  the  sides 
of  corn-bins,  and  each  one  then  makes  itself  a  little  oval  pod 
or  cocoon,  about  as  large  as  a  grain  of  wheat.  The  insects  of 
the  first  brood,  as  before  said,  come  out  of  their  cocoons,  in 
the  winged  form,  in  July  and  August,  and  lay  their  eggs  for 
another  brood ;  the  others  remain  unchanged  in  their  cocoons, 
through  the  winter,  and  take  the  chrysalis  form  in  March  or 
April  following.  Three  weeks  afterwards,  the  shining  brown 
chrysalis  forces  itself  part  way  out  of  the  cocoon,  by  the  help 
of  some  little  sharp  points  on  its  tail,  and  bursts  open  at  the 
other  end,  so  as  to  allow  the  moth  therein  confined  to  come 
forth. 

From  various  statements,  deficient  however  in  exactness, 


392  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION, 

that  have  appeared  in  some  of  our  agi-icultural  journals,  I  am 
led  to  think  that  this  corn-moth,  or  an  insect  much  like  it  in 
its  habits,  prevails  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  that  it  has 
generally  been  mistaken  for  the  grain-weevil.  Many  years  ago 
I  remember  to  have  seen  oats  and  shelled  corn  (maize)  affected 
in  the  way  above  described;  and  Dr.  Asa  Fitch  has  favored 
me  with  a  grain-moth,  obtained  in  a  flour-mill  at  East  Green- 
wich, New  York,  which  agreed  with  the  descriptions  and 
figures  of  the  European  Tinea  granella.  In  some  remarks 
upon  this  insect  in  the  Albany  "  Cultivator,"  for  January,  1847, 
he  states  that  the  American  insect  was  observed  to  make  its 
cocoon  within  the  webs  among  the  grain,  instead  of  retiring 
therefrom  when  about  to  undergo  its  transformations.  The 
habits  of  the  European  grain-moth  are  probably  sometimes 
varied ;  for,  although  most  ^vrite^s  on  its  history  agree  in  saying 
that  the  insect  leaves  the  grain  and  conceals  itself  in  crevices 
of  the  granary  when  preparing  to  make  its  cocoon,  Olivier* 
expressly  states  that  it  undergoes  its  transformation  in  its  web 
among  the  grain. 

There  is  another  grain-moth,  Avhich,  at  various  times,  has 
been  found  to  be  more  destructive  in  granaries,  in  some  pro- 
vinces of  France,  than  the  preceding  kind.  It  is  the  Angoumois 
moth,  or  Anacampsis  [Butalis)  cerealella,  an  insect  evidently 
belonging  to  the  family  of  Yponomeutad.e,  or  Ypononieutians. 
The  winged  moths  of  this  group  have  only  two  visible  feelers, 
and  these  are  generally  long,  slender,  and  curved  over  their 
heads.  Their  narrow  wings  most  often  overlap  each  other, 
and  cover  their  backs  horizontally  when  shut.  It  is  stated  in 
the  "  Introduction  to  Entomology,"  f  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kirby 
and  Mr.  Spence,  that  the  insect  under  consideration  is  not 
yet  named.  This,  however,  is  a  mistake ;  for  it  was  named 
Alucita  cerealella,  by  Olivier,^  as  long  ago  as  the  year  1789. 
Olivier's  name  for  it  appears  also  to  have  been  overlooked 


*  Encyclopedic  Mcthodique.     Insectcs.    Tome  IV.,  p.  114. 
t  Fifth  edition,  Vol.  I.,  p.  172. 

J  "Encyclop6dic  Mcthodique.     Hist.  Nat.  Insectcs,"  Tome  FV".,  p.  121.     See 
also  Gucrin's  edition  of  Tigny's  "Histoire  Nat.  dcs  Inaectes,"  Tome  IX.,  p.  301. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  393 

by  Latreille,  who  has  given  it  that  of  CEcophora  granella* 
Moreover,  the  writers  of  the  "Introduction"  have  extracted, 
from  the  works  of  Reaumur,!  an  account  of  the  habits  of  this 
insect,  which  they  call  Tinea  Hordei  and  Ypsolophus  g-rancllus,-^ 
without  seeming  to  be  aware  that  it  is  the  same  as  the  An- 
goumois  moth.  In  the  first  edition  of  this  treatise,  I  stated 
that  "the  Angoumois  grain-moth  probably  belongs  to  the 
modern  genus  Anaca?npsis,  a  word  derived  from  the  Greek, 
and  signifying  recurved,  in  allusion  to  the  direction  of  the 
feelers  of  the  moths."  To  this  genus,  as  understood  by  most 
English  entomologists,  it  certainly  does  belong;  but  Mr.  Curtis 
is  disposed  to  place  it  in  his  genus  Laverna,  including  certain 
species  which  he  has  separated  from  Anacampsis.  The  French 
naturalist  Duponchel,  who  has  described  and  figured  it  in  the 
fourth  volume  of  the  Supplement  to  his  "  Histoire  Naturelle 
des  Lepidopteres  de  France,"  refers  this  insect  to  the  genus 
Butalis,  which  name  I  have  thought  proper  now  to  adopt. 

For  more  than  a  century,  this  insect  has  prevailed  in  the 
western  parts  of  France,  and  has  gradually  been  extending  in 
an  easterly  and  northerly  direction.  In  the  year  1736,  the 
French  naturalist  Reaumur  published  an  interesting  account 
of  it,  illustrated  by  rude  figures,  in  the  second  volume  of  his 
instructive  "  Memoires."  He  found  it  to  be  very  injurious  to 
stored  barley,  at  Lucon,  in  the  province  of  La  Vendee,  and 
ascertained  that  it  destroyed  wheat  also.  In  the  adjacent 
province  of  Angoumois,  it  continued  to  increase  for  many 
years,  till  at  length  the  attention  of  government  was  directed 
to  its  fearful  depredations.  This  was  in  1760,  when  the  insect 
was  found  to  swarm  in  all  the  wheat-fields  and  granaries  of 
Angoumois  and  of  the  neighboring  provinces,  and  the  afllicted 
inhabitants  were  thereby  deprived  not  only  of  their  principal 
staple,  wherewith  they  were  wont  to  pay  their  annual  rents, 
their  taxes,  and  their  tithes,  but  were  threatened  with  famine 
and   pestilence   from  the  want   of   wholesome    bread.      Two 


*  CuTier's  "  Regne  Animal,"  3d  edition. 

t  "  Memoires,"  Tome  II.,  p.  486. 

X  "Introduction  to  Entomology,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  174. 

50 


9H  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

members  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  of  Paris,  the  celebrated 
Duhamel  du  Monceau  and  Mr.  Tillet,  were  then  commissioned 
to  visit  the  province  of  Angomnois,  and  inquire  into  the  nature 
of  this  destructive  insect.  The  result  of  their  inquiries  was 
communicated  to  the  Academy,  in  whose  history  and  memoirs 
it  may  be  found,  and  was  also  subsequently  republished  in  a 
separate  volume.*  From  this  work,  and  from  the  "  Memoires" 
of  Reaumur,  the  following  particulars  arc  derived.  The  An- 
goumois  grain-insect,  in  its  perfected  state,  is  a  little  moth,  of 
a  pale  cinnamon-brown  color  above,  having  the  lustre  of  satin, 
with  narrow  broadly  fringed  hind  uangs  of  an  ashen  or  leaden 
color,  two  threadlike  antenn£e,  consisting  of  numerous  bearded 
joints,  a  spiral  tongue  of  moderate  length,  and  two  tapering 
feelers,  turned  over  its  head.  It  lays  from  sixty  to  ninety  eggs, 
placing  them  in  clusters  of  twenty  or  more  on  a  single  grain. 
From  these  are  hatched,  in  from  four  to  six  days,  little  worm- 
like caterpillars,  not  thicker  than  a  hair.  These  immediately 
disperse,  and  each  one  selects  for  itself  a  single  grain,  and 
burrows  therein  at  the  most  tender  part,  commonly  the  place 
whence  the  plumule  comes  forth.  Remaining  there  concealed, 
it  devours  the  mealy  substance  within  the  hull;  and  this  de- 
struction goes  on  so  secretly,  as  only  to  be  detected  by  the 
softness  of  the  grain  or  the  loss  of  its  weight.  When  fully 
grown  this  caterpillar  is  not  more  than  one  fifth  of  an  inch 
long.  It  is  of  a  white  color,  with  a  brownish  head ;  and  it  has 
six  small  jointed  legs,  and  ten  extremely  small  wart-like  prop- 
legs.  Having  eaten  out  the  heart  of  the  grain,  which  is  just 
enough  for  all  its  wants,  it  spins  a  silken  web  or  curtain  to 
divide  the  hollow,  lengthwise,  into  two  unequal  parts,  the 
smaller  containing  the  rejected  fragments  of  its  food,  and  the 
larger  cavity  serving  instead  of  a  cocoon,  wherein  the  insect 
undergoes  its  transformations.  Before  turning  to  a  chrysalis 
it  gnaws  a  small  hole  nearly  or  quite  through  the  hull,  and 
sometimes   also   through  the    chaffy   covering   of  the   grain, 


*  "Histoire  d'un  Insecte  qui  devore  les  grains  de  I'Angoumois."  12ino. 
Paris,  1762.  See  also  '•HistoLre  de  rAcadeniie  Royale  des  Sciences,"  Annee 
1761,  p.  66,  and  "  Memoires,"  p.  289,  4to.  Paris,  1763. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  395 

through  which  it  can  make  its  escape  easily  when  it  becomes 
a  winged  moth.  The  insects  of  the  first,  or  summer  brood, 
come  to  maturity  in  about  three  weeks,  remain  but  a  short 
time  in  the  chrysalis  state,  and  turn  to  winged  moths  in  the 
autumn,  and  at  this  time  may  be  found,  in  the  evening,  in 
great  numbers,  laying  their  eggs  on  the  grain  stored  in  barns 
and  granaries.  The  moth-worms  of  the  second  brood  remain 
in  the  grain  through  the  winter,  and  do  not  change  to  winged 
insects  till  the  following  summer,  when  they  come  out,  fly  into 
the  fields  in  the  night,  and  lay  their  eggs  on  the  young  ears  of 
the  growing  grain.  Although  there  seem  to  be  two  principal 
broods  in  the  course  of  a  year,  we  are  not  to  understand  that 
these  are  the  only  ones ;  for  French  writers  inform  us,  that 
others  are  produced  during  the  whole  summer,  and  that  the 
production  of  the  insects  is  accelerated  or  retarded  by  dift'er- 
ences  in  the  temperature  of  the  air.*  When  damaged  grain 
is  sown  it  comes  up  very  thin;  the  infected  kernels  seldom 
sprout,  but  the  insects  lodged  in  them  remain  alive,  finish  their 
transformations  in  the  field,  and  in  due  time  come  out  of  the 
ground  in  the  winged  form. 

To  the  foregoing  sketch  must  now  be  added  an  account  of 
an  American  grain-insect,  which,  in  the  first  edition  of  this 
treatise,  I  suggested  would  prove  to  be  the  same  as  the  An- 
goumois  grain-moth.  Having  since  obtained  some  of  these 
American  insects  from  various  quarters,  and  having  had  a 
colony  of  them  living  and  increasing,  for  three  years,  under 
my  own  eye,  I  find  them  to  agree,  in  all  essential  particulars, 
with  the  European  species.  Until,  therefore,  they  are  proved, 
by  actual  comparison  with  perfect  specimens  of  the  latter,  to 
be  absolutely  distinct,  I  must  consider  it  as  next  to  certain 
that  they  are  identical,  and  that  they  have  been  inh-oduced 
into  this  country  from  Europe.  Perhaps,  hereafter,  the  mode 
of  their  introduction  may  be  as  satisfactorily  ascertained  as 
that  of  the  Hessian  fly.  In  the  year  1768,  Colonel  Landon 
Carter,  of  Sabine  Hall,  Virginia,  communicated  to  the  Amer- 
ican Philosophical  Society  at  Philadelphia  some  interesting 


*  Olivier.     Encyclopedic  Methodique.     Insectcs.    Tome  IV.,  p.  115. 


396  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

"  Observations  concerning  the  fly-weevil  that  destroys  wheat." 
These  were  printed  in  the  first  volume  of  the  "Transactions" 
of  the  Society,  and  were  followed  by  some  remarks  on  the 
subject  by  "the  Committee  of  Husbandry."  This  is  the  earli- 
est authentic  account  of  tlie  insect  that  I  have  met  with.  The 
Committee  stated  that  "it  was  said  the  injury  of  wheat  from 
these  flies  began  in  North  Carolina  about  forty  years  before, — 
and  that  they  had  extended  gradually  from  Carolina  into  Vir- 
ginia, Maryland,  and  the  lower  counties  of  Delaware,  but  had 
not  then  penetrated  into  Pennsylvania  or  passed  the  Delaware." 
They  remarked,  moreover,  that  the  insects  "appeared  to  be  of 
the  same  kind  with  those  that  do  the  like  mischief  in  Europe, 
as  described  to  Mi*.  Duhamel  by  a  gentleman  of  Angoumois." 
Mr.  Louis  A.  G.  Bosc,  who  was  sent  by  the  French  govern- 
ment, in  1796,  to  this  country,  where  he  spent  several  years, 
found  the  Alucila  cerealella  "  so  abundant  in  Carolina  as  to 
extinguish  a  candle  when  he  entered  his  granary  in  the  night."* 
This  fly-weevil,  or  little  grain-moth,  has  spread  from  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia,  where  its  depredations  were  first  ob- 
served, into  Kentucky,  and  the  southern  parts  of  Ohio  and 
Indiana,  and  probably  more  or  less  throughout  the  wheat 
region  of  the  adjacent  States,  between  the  thirty-sixth  and 
fortieth  degrees  of  north  latitude.  But  these  are  not  the 
extreme  limits  of  its  occasional  depredations,  as  it  has  been 
found  even  in  New  England,  where,  however,  its  propagation 
seems  to  have  been  limited  by  the  length  and  severity  of  the 
winter.  Wheat,  barley,  oats,  and  Indian  corn,  suffer  alike 
from  it,  the  last  especially  when  kept  unprotected  more  than 
six  or  eight  months.  Several  essays  on  this  insect  have  ap- 
peared in  agricultural  journals,  none  of  which,  however,  were 
known  to  me  when  my  first  account  of  the  Angoumois  moth 
was  written.  One  of  these  is  an  elaborate  article  by  Edward 
Ruffin,  Esq.,  of  Hanover  county,  Virginia,  printed  in  "  The 
Farmers'  Register"  for  November,  1833.  The  object  of  the 
writer  is  to  {)rove,  by  a  series  of  experiments,  that  there  is  a 


*  Encyclopedie  Methodique.     Agriculture.     Tome  V.,  p.  243.  —  Mr.  Bosc,  a 
contributor  to  this  work,  resided  some  time  at  Wilmington,  North  Carolina. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  397 

continued  reproduction  of  the  insect,  in  stored  grain,  at  short 
intervals,  throughout  the  warm  season,  or  from  the  latter  part 
of  June  till  further  increase  is  checked  by  cold  weather.  Mr. 
Ruffin  thinks  that  but  very  few  eggs  are  deposited  on  corn  in 
the  field,  that  these  do  not  ordinarily  hatch  till  the  following 
summer,  and  that  then  they  are  sufficient  to  stock  the  whole 
crop  of  stored  grain  with  their  progeny.  Mr.  Samuel  Judah, 
of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  in  a  short  and  very  sensible  article, 
published  in  "The  Indiana  Farmer  and  Gardener"  for  Octo- 
ber 4,  1845,  seems  to  have  come  to  nearly  the  same  conclu- 
sions. Mr.  Richard  Owen,  of  New  Harmony,  Indiana,  has 
given  a  very  good  history  of  this  insect,  accompanied  with 
wood-cuts,  in  "  The  Cultivator,"  for  July  and  November,  1846. 
To  this  I  may  have  occasion  again  to  refer,  as  also  to  two 
other  articles,  on  the  same  subject,  by  Edward  Ruthn,  Esq.,  in 
the  sixth  volume  of  "  The  American  Agriculturist,"  pages  52 
and  93,  published  in  February  and  March,  1847. 

In  the  summer  of  1840,  Mr.  E.  C.  Herrick,  of  New  Haven, 
Connecticut,  sent  to  me  a  few  grains  of  wheat,  that  had  been 
eaten  by  moth-worms  precisely  in  the  same  way  as  grain  is 
attacked  by  the  Angoumois  insect;  and  a  gentleman,  to  whom 
this  moth-eaten  wheat  was  shown,  informed  me  that  he  had 
seen  grain  thus  affected  in  Maine.  Unfortunately,  the  insects 
contained  in  this  wheat  were  dead  when  receired,  having 
perished  in  the  chrysalis  state.  Had  they  lived  to  finish  their 
transformations,  they  would  have  afforded  me  an  opportunity 
of  ascertaining  their  suspected  identity  with  the  fly-weevil  of 
Virginia,  and  the  Angoumois  moth  of  France.  All  my  at- 
tempts to  obtain  specimens  of  the  fly-weevil  from  the  South 
and  West  were  unsuccessful,  till  the  tenth  of  November,  1845, 
when  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  a  parcel  of  damaged 
wheat  and  a  bottle  full  of  the  moths  from  Richmond,  Virginia, 
through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  John  Dunlop  Osborne,  then  a 
student  in  the  Law  School  of  Harvard  College.  Living  speci- 
mens, and  the  insects  in  the  worm  or  larva  state,  were  still 
wanting.  These  were  most  unexpectedly  obtained  nearer 
home.  The  late  Samuel  M.  Burnside,  Esq.,  of  Worcester, 
told  me,  in  the  summer  of  1844,  that  he  had  a  quantity  of 


398  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

corn,  grown  the  year  before,  which  had  become  infested  with 
insects,  and  that  he  found  great  numbers  of  the  insects,  on  the 
wing,  in  the  room  where  the  corn  was  kept.  He  also  brought 
to  me  two  large  ears  of  corn  from  the  infected  heap.  At  tliat 
time,  I  was  not  aware  that  the  fly-weevil  attacked  Indian  corn, 
at  least  in  New  England;  and  these  ears,  appearing  sound 
externally,  were  rolled  up  in  several  sheets  of  strong  brown 
paper,  securely  tied,  and  laid  away  for  future  examination. 
They  were  forgotten,  however,  till  December,  1845,  when, 
upon  opening  the  parcel,  I  found  a  great  quantity  of  dead 
moths,  and  several  living  ones,  in  the  paper.  Every  kernel 
appeared  to  have  been  perforated,  and  many  of  the  kernels 
had  three  or  four  holes  in  each  of  them.  Some  contained  the 
insect  in  the  worm  state,  and  some  the  fully  formed  chrysalis. 
The  moths  differed  from  the  Virginia  fly-weevil  only  in  being 
rather  larger,  with  blackish  fore  legs,  and  in  having  a  more 
conspicuous  blackish  spot  near  the  tips  of  the  feelers,  showing 
them  to  be  merely  varieties  of  the  same  species.  This  remark 
seems  to  be  confirmed  by  the  now  well  known  fact  that  the 
fly-weevil,  at  the  South  and  West,  attacks  corn  as  well  as 
wheat,  and  by  the  statement  of  Mr.  Owen,  that  "the  insect 
found  in  corn  does  not  differ  from  that  found  in  wheat;  it  is 
usually,"  says  he,  "somewhat  larger  than  the  specimens  from 
wheat,  but  this  may  be  owing  to  the  greater  amount  of  nour- 
ishment which  the  corn  has  afforded."  Moreover,  we  learn 
from  the  works  of  Olivier  and  of  Bonafous,*  that  maize  also 
suffers  from  the  Angoumois  moth  in  France.  It  is  related 
that  Kalm,  the  Swedish  traveller,  on  finding  some  bugs  in 
pease  that  he  had  carried  home  from  this  country,  was  filled 
with  alarm,  "fearing  lest  he  might  thereby  introduce  so  great 
an  evil  into  his  beloved  Sweden."  With  something  of  the 
same  feeling,  on  finding  what  the  insects  were  that  had  been 
depredating  in  my  friend's  corn-bin,  I  put  the  two  ears  of  corn 
into  a  large  glass  jar,  and  corked  it  tight,  to  prevent  the  escape 
of  any  moths  that  might  be  developed  from  worms  and  chry- 

*  Encyclopedic  Mcthodique.     Insectes.      Tome  IV.,  p.   121.  —  Histoire  du 
MaTs,  parM.  Bonafous,  p.  111. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  399 

salids  remaining  in  the  kernels.  The  next  June,  a  swarm  of 
moths  appeared  in  the  jar,  in  which  they  continued  to  propa- 
gate three  years,  successively,  producing  moths  in  considerable 
quantities  in  June  and  in  August,  with  a  smaller  number  at 
various  intermediate  times,  except  during  the  depth  of  winter. 
These  corn-moths,  as  already  stated,  were  rather  larger  than 
those  from  the  wheat,  the  wings  of  some  of  them  expanding 
nearly  six  tenths  of  an  inch.*  The  head  is  smooth  and  not 
tufted.  The  antennsB  are  threadlike,  with  distinctly  marked 
joints.  The  feelers  are  long  and  curved  upwards;  the  terminal 
joint  naked,  acute,  and  blackish  near  the  tip;  the  second  or 
middle  joint  rather  shorter  and  thicker,  hairy  beneath,  and 
blackish  on  the  outer  side;  the  basal  joint  very  short  and  hairy. 
The  tongue  makes  several  spiral  turns,  and,  when  extended, 
is  about  half  the  length  of  the  antennee.  The  body  and  fore 
wings  are  of  that  tint  of  pale  brownish  gray,  which  the  French 
call  coffee  and  milk  color,  and  they  have  the  lustre  of  satin. 
The  fore  wings  are  long  and  narrow,  and  are  pointed  at  the 
end ;  together  with  their  wide  fringes,  they  are  more  or  less 
sprinkled  with  blackish  dots,  especially  near  the  tips.  The 
hind  wings  are  blackish,  with  a  leaden  lustre;  they  are  narrow, 
and  are  very  suddenly  and  obliquely  contracted  to  a  point  at 
the  tips ;  they  are  entirely  surrounded  with  a  blackish  fringe, 
which  is  Avider  on  the  inner  margin  than  the  wing  itself.  They 
are  folded  lengthwise,  when  at  rest,  beneath  the  upper  wings. 
The  fore  legs  are  blackish,  and  the  hindmost  legs  are  fringed 
with  long  hairs  on  the  inner  side.  The  chrysalis  is  obtuse  at 
each  end;  the  tail  surrounded  with  a  few  minute  points,  three 
of  which  are  larger  than  the  rest;  the  rings  of  the  body  are 
smooth,  or  not  notched;  and  the  wing-cases  extend  nearly  to 
the  hinder  extremity.  The  chrysalis-skin  generally  remains 
within  the  grain  when  the  moth  comes  out;  in  some  few 
cases,  however,  it  was  found  sticking  out  of  the  orifice  in  the 


*  Mr.  Curtis,  probably  through  inadvertence,  has  stated  that  Butalis  cereahlla 
"  expands  rather  more  than  one  inch."  Half  an  inch  is  the  true  measure.  See 
Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England,  Vol.  VII.,  p.  86.  Com- 
pare Duponchel,  Hist.  Nat.  des  Lepidopteres  de  France.  Supplement.  Tome 
IV.,  pi.  85,  fig.  3. 


400  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

kernel,  and  sometimes  in  the  crevices  between  the  kernels. 
The  foregoing  minute  description,  which  is  taken  from  per- 
fectly fresh  and  uninjured  specimens,  will  serve  to  remove  any 
doubt  as  to  the  genus  and  species  to  which  this  corn-moth  is 
to  be  referred. 

It  has  been  proved  by  experience  that  the  ravages  of  the  two 
kinds  of  grain-moths,  whose  history  has  been  now  given,  can 
be  effectually  checked  by  drying  the  damaged  grain  in  an  oven 
or  kiln ;  and  that  a  heat  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  de- 
grees, by  Fahrenheit's  thermometer,  continued  during  twelve 
hours,  will  kill  the  insects  in  all  their  forms.  Indeed  the  heat 
may  be  reduced  to  one  hundred  and  four  degrees,  with  the 
same  effect,  but  the  grain  must  then  be  exposed  to  it  for  the 
space  of  two  days.  Insect-mills,  somewhat  like  coffee-roasters 
on  a  large  scale,  have  been  invented  in  France,  for  the  purpose 
of  heating  and  agitating  the  infested  wheat,  by  which  the  eggs 
and  larvae  of  the  little  corn-moth,  or  Butalis,  are  destroyed. 
Fumigation,  in  close  vessels,  with  the  gas  of  burning  charcoal, 
is  found  to  be  an  effectual  remedy ;  and  Dr.  Herpin  states  that 
this  process  neither  imparts  any  bad  flavor  to  the  grain,  nor 
does  it  impair  its  power  of  vegetating.  He  recommends  also 
the  early  threshing  and  winnowing  of  wheat,  as  tending  to 
preserve  it.*  This,  indeed,  is  advocated  by  the  most  experi- 
enced wheat  cultivators  in  this  country,  particularly  if  done  by 
machinery;  and  it  should  not  be  deferred  later  than  the  end  of 
July.  The  concussion  and  agitation  undergone  by  the  wheat 
in  being  threshed  and  winnowed,  as  intimated  by  Dr.  Herpin, 
Mr.  Judah,  and  others,  is  supposed  to  dislodge  the  eggs  and 
kill  the  larvoB  of  the  insect.  With  the  same  view,  Mr.  Owen 
recommends  passing  the  new  wheat  through  "  a  rubbing  mill, 
such  as  is  used  in  Virginia  and  other  large  wheat  growing 
districts,  to  ensure  first-rate  flour;"  after  which  the  wheat  may 
be  kept  in  bulk,  or  may  be  immediately  ground.  If  a  large 
surface  of  grain  be  exposed  in  the  barn,  the  granary,  or  the 


*  See  Duponchel.  L6pidopt.  de  France.  Supplem.  Tome  IV.,  pp.  450-453  ; 
and  Mr.  Curtis's  paper  in  the  Journ.  Royal  Society  of  Agricult.  of  England. 
Vol.  VII.,  pp.  87-89. 


LEPIDOPTERA.  401 

mill,  during  the  season  of  the  moth,  it  will  assuredly  become 
affected ;  for,  in  the  night,  when  these  insects  are  most  active 
and  on  the  wing,  they  will  light  upon  the  exposed  surface  and 
deposit  their  eggs,  which,  in  a  few  months  of  hot  weather, 
will  produce  numerous  and  successive  broods  of  moth-worms. 
To  secure  it  from  attack,  therefore,  the  grain  should  be  depos- 
ited in  tight  bins  or  casks,  after  having  been  properly  prepared 
by  being  dried  in  a  kiln,  or  even  by  exposure  to  the  heat  of  the 
sun.  Some  persons  have  succeeded  perfectly  in  preserving 
grain  from  the  corn-weevil  and  from  the  corn-moth  by  putting 
it  into  casks,  heated  and  fumigated  with  burning  charcoal. 
The  charcoal  may  be  burnt  in  a  portable  furnace,  lowered 
into  the  cask  by  a  chain;  and  the  grain  should  be  poured  in 
while  the  cask  is  hot.  It  has  been  observed  that  a  low  tem- 
perature checks  the  propagation  of  the  corn-moth,  and  that 
the  larvae,  or  moth-worms,  in  the  grain,  cannot  survive  the 
winter  in  those  places  where  the  thermometer  falls  to  zero. 
Hence,  in  the  cool  and  well-ventilated  corn-barns  of  New 
England,  grain  will  ordinarily  be  exempt  from  attack.  During 
the  summer,  however,  grain  that  has  been  brought  from  in- 
fected districts,  or  that  has  otherwise  become  contaminated, 
will  be  likely  to  suffer  to  some  extent,  even  here.  From  these 
facts  we  learn  how  important  it  is  that  wheat  and  corn,  which 
are  to  be  kept  over  winter,  for  use,  for  sale,  or  for  seed,  should 
be  previously  well  prepared,  and  should  be  deposited  in  suit- 
able vessels  in  cool  apartments,  no  matter  how  cold,  provided 
they  are  also  dry.  It  has  been  observed  that  very  little  corn 
is  attacked  in  the  field,  the  husks  or  shucks  protecting  it  from 
the  moths,  which  find  only  a  few  ears,  whose  ends  protrude 
beyond  the  husks,  whereon  to  deposit  their  eggs.  Hence  some 
persons  recommend  keeping  corn  in  the  husks,  to  preserve  it 
from  the  corn-moth  and  also  from  the  corn-weevil.  This 
method  is  objectionable  on  account  of  the  trouble  it  occasions, 
and  the  increased  bulk  of  the  corn;  and  it  is  less  sure  than 
the  means  above  described. 

Mr.  Owen  has  made  the  interesting  discovery  that  the  larvaB 
of  the  wheat-moth  are  sometimes  preyed  upon  by  still  smaller 
larvae,  which,  having  destroyed  their  victims,  are  transformed 
51 


402  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

to  minute  black  ichneumon-flies.  These  have  not  yet  been 
obtained  from  any  of  the  samples  of  infected  wheat  or  corn 
that  have  come  under  my  notice ;  but,  from  the  figures  given 
of  them  by  Mr.  Owen  in  "  The  Cultivator,"  for  November, 
1846,  they  appear  evidently  to  be  Chalcidian  parasites,  and 
belong  perhaps  to  the  genus  Pteromalus.  Of  these  parasitical 
flies  he  remarks,  that  "  some  farmers  had  noticed  large  num- 
bers among  the  tailings  of  the  winnowing  machine."  Where 
they  prevail,  they  doubtless  contribute,  in  no  small  measure, 
to  check  the  increase  of  the  moths. 

The  Angoumois  moth  is  unknown  in  England.  Hence 
specimens  of  the  American  insect,  sent  by  me  to  my  friend 
the  late  Mr.  Edward  Doubleday,  of  the  British  Museum,  in 
December,  1845,  were  not  immediately  recognized  by  him  and 
by  Mr.  Curtis,  the  celebrated  English  entomologist.  After- 
wards, on  consulting  the  work  of  Duponchel  on  the  Lepido- 
ptera  of  France,  they  identified  my  specimens  as  belonging  to 
the  Butalis  cerealella,  the  true  Angoumois  grain-moth,  described 
and  figured  in  that  work.  This  identification  is  the  more  in- 
teresting and  satisfactory,  from  the  circumstance  that  I  had 
not  communicated  to  these  gentlemen  my  belief  that  the 
insects  were  the  same,  and  had  given  to  them  no  account  of 
the  habits  of  my  specimens,  being  desirous  of  obtaining  their 
opinion  unbiassed  by  my  own.  I  am  not  aware  that  any 
attempt  had  been  made  by  European  naturalists,  before  the 
publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this  treatise,  to  determine 
the  modern  genus  to  which  the  Angoumois  moth  belongs,  or 
to  clear  up  and  make  known  the  synonymy  of  this  species. 
This  labor  seems  to  have  been  left  to  an  American,  remote 
from  the  scene  of  the  early  and  long  continued  depredations 
of  the  insect,  and  deprived  of  the  common  facilities  enjoyed 
by  European  naturalists.  , 


LEPIDOPTERA.  403 

7.  Feather-winged  Moths.     {Alucitcc.) 

The  last  tribe  of  Lepidopterous  insects  remaining  to  be 
noticed,  contains  the  Alucit^  of  Linnaeus,  or  feather-winged 
moths,  called  Pterophorid^  by  the  French  naturalists.  These 
moths  are  easily  known  by  their  wings  being  divided  length- 
wise into  narrow,  fringed  branches,  resembling  feathers.  The 
fore  wings  in  the  genus  Pterophorus  are  split,  nearly  half  way, 
into  two,  and  the  hind  wings  are  divided,  to  the  shoulder-joint, 
into  three  feathers ;  and  each  of  the  wings,  in  Alucita,  consists 
of  six  feathers,  connected  only  at  the  joint.  The  antennsB  of 
these  moths  are  slender  and  tapering;  the  tongue  is  long;  the 
feelers  are  two  in  number,  and  of  moderate  length ;  and  the 
body  and  legs  are  very  long  and  slender.  When  at  rest  their 
wings  do  not  cover  the  body,  but  stand  out  from  it  on  each 
side,  not  spread  however,  but  folded  together  like  a  fan,  so  that 
only  the  outer  part  of  each  of  the  fore  wings  is  visible.  They 
fly  slowly  and  feebl}'',  some  of  them  by  day,  and  others  only 
at  night,  and,  when  on  the  wing,  they  somewhat  resemble  the 
long-legged  gnats.  Theii*  caterpillars  are  rather  short  and  thick, 
are  clothed  with  a  few  hairs,  and  have  sixteen  short  legs.  Most 
of  them  live  on  the  leaves  of  low  or  herbaceous  plants,  and, 
when  about  to  change  to  chrysalids,  they  fasten  themselves  by 
the  hind  feet  and  by  a  loop  over  the  back,  like  the  Lycaenians. 
Those  which  belong  to  the  genus  Alucita  are  said  to  live  in 
buds,  and  undergo  their  transformations  in  thin,  transparent 
cocoons.  The  number  of  species  in  this  tribe  is  small;  and 
those  that  are  found  in  this  country  are  so  few,  and  of  so  little 
consequence,  in  an  economical  point  of  view,  that  a  particular 
description  of  them  will  not  be  necessary  in  this  treatise. 


40i  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 


HYMENOPTERA. 

Stingeks,  and  Piercers.  —  Habits  op  some  of  the  Hymenoptera.  —  Saw- 
Flies,  and  Slugs.  Elm  Saw -Fly.  Fir  Saav-Fly.  Vine  Saw-Fly.  Rose- 
bush Slug.  Pear-tree  Slug.  —  Horn-tailed  Wood-Wasps.  —  Gall-Flies. 
—  Chalcidians.    Barley  Insect  and  Joint-Worm. 

Bees,  wasps,  ants,  saw-flies,  and  ichneumon-flies,  of  many- 
different  kinds,  together  with  other  insects,  unknown  by  any 
common  names  in  the  English  language,  belong  to  the  order 
Hymenoptera.  Their  wings  are  four  in  number,  are  traversed 
by  a  few,  branching  veins,  and  are  more  or  less  transparent,  or 
of  a  thin  and  filmy  texture,  as  expressed  by  the  name  of  the 
order,  which  signifies  membranaceous  wings.  They  fly  swiftly, 
and  are  able  to  keep  on  the  wing  much  longer  than  any  other 
insects,  because  their  bodies  are  light,  and  compact,  and  their 
wings  very  thin,  narrow,  and  withal  very  strong.  They  have 
four  nippers  or  jaws;  the  upper  pair  being  horny,  stout,  and 
fitted  for  biting  or  cutting;  the  lower  are  longer  and  softer, 
and,  with  the  lower  lip,  which  they  cover,  form  a  kind  of  beak 
or  sucker.  Their  antennae  vary  in  form  and  length ;  but  are 
most  often  cylindrical,  and  of  equal  thickness  to  the  end. 
The  males  have  no  weapons  of  offence  or  defence  except  their 
jaws.  The  females  arc  armed  with  a  venomous  sting,  con- 
cealed within  the  end  of  the  hind  body,  or  are  provided  with 
a  piercer,  of  some  sort,  for  boring  or  sawing  the  holes  wherein 
their  eggs  are  deposited.  Hence  the  insects  of  this  order  may 
be  divided  into  two  groups.  Stingers,  and  Piercers.  Though 
both  of  them  undergo  a  complete  transformation  in  coming  to 
maturity,  they  differ  from  each  other  in  the  early  states  of  their 
existence.  The  young  of  all  the  stinging  Hymenoptera  are 
soft,  white,  and  maggot-shaped,  and  are  without  legs ;  some 
of  those  of  the  Piercers  have  the  same  form,  but  the  others 
more  nearly  resemble  grubs  and  caterpillars^  having  a  horny 
head,  and  six  jointed  legs,  and  some  of  them  numerous  fleshy 


HYMENOPTERA.  4<<J 

proplegs,  besides.  The  latter,  when  food  fails  them  in  one 
place,  are  able  to  creep  to  another,  and  can  look  out  for  them- 
selves a  proper  place  of  shelter,  wherein  to  go  through  with 
their  transformations.  The  others  are  exceedingly  helpless, 
and  depend  wholly  upon  the  instinctive  foresight  of  their 
parents,  or  the  daily  care  of  attentive  nurses,  for  their  food 
and  habitations.  When  fully  grown,  nearly  all  of  these  young 
insects  spin  oblong  oval  cocoons,  wherein  they  change  to  chrysa- 
lids,  and  finally  to  winged  insects.  A  few,  however,  never 
obtain  wings  in  the  adult  state ;  but  these  are  mostly  certain 
neuter  and  female  ants,  the  males  of  which  nossess  winffs. 
With  the  exception  of  the  white  ants,  belonging  to  another 
order,  it  is  only  among  Hymenopterous  insects  that  we  find 
certain  individuals  constantly  barren,  and  hence  called  neuters. 
These  form  the  principal  part  of  those  communities  of  bees, 
of  wasps,  and  of  ants,  that  unite  in  making  a  habitation  for 
the  whole  swarm,  and  in  providing  a  stock  of  provisions  for 
their  own  use,  and  for  that  of  their  helpless  brood ;  and  nearly 
or  quite  all  the  labor  falls  upon  these  industrious  neuters, 
whose  care  and  affection  for  the  young,  which  they  foster  and 
shelter,  could  not  be  greater  were  they  their  own  offspring. 

Hymenopterous  insects  love  the  light  of  the  sun ;  they  take 
wing  only  during  the  daytime,  and  remain  at  rest  in  the  night, 
and  in  dull  and  wet  weather.  They  excel  all  other  insects  in 
the  number  and  variety  of  their  instincts,  which  are  wonder- 
fully displayed  in  the  methods  employed  by  them  in  providing 
for  the  comfort  and  the  future  wants  of  their  offspring.  In 
the  introductory  chapter  some  remarks  have  already  been 
made  on  their  habits  and  economy;  and  the  limits  of  this 
work  will  not  allow  me  now  to  enlarge  upon  them.  I  shall 
not,  therefore,  attempt  to  show  how  admirably  the  Hymeno- 
ptera  are  fitted,  in  the  formation  of  all  their  parts,  for  their 
appointed  tasks.  If  any  of  my  readers  are  curious  to  learn 
this,  and  to  witness  for  themselves  the  various  arts,  resources, 
and  contrivances  resorted  to  by  these  insects,  let  them  go 
abroad  in  the  summer,  and  watch  them  during  their  labors. 
They  will  then  see  the  saw-fly  making  holes  in  leaves  with 
her  double  key-hole  saws,  and  the  horn-tail  boring  with  her 


406  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

auger  into  the  solid  trunks  of  trees; — they  will  not  fail  to 
observe  and  admire  the  untiring  scrutiny  of  the  ichneumon- 
flies,  those  little  busy-bodies,  for  ever  on  the  alert,  and  prying 
into  every  place  to  find  the  lurking  caterpillar,  grub,  or  mag- 
got, wherein  to  thrust  their  eggs;  —  the  curious  swellings  pro- 
duced by  the  gall-flies,  and  inhabited  by  their  young; — the 
clay  cells  of  the  mud-wasp,  plastered  against  the  walls  of  our 
houses,  each  one  containing  a  single  egg,  together  with  a  large 
number  of  living  spiders,  caught  and  imprisoned  therein  solely 
for  the  use  of  the  little  mason's  young,  which  thus  have  con- 
stantly before  them  an  ample  supply  of  fresh  provisions;  — 
the  holes  of  the  stump-wasp,  stored  with  hundreds  of  horse- 
flies for  the  same  purpose; — the  skill  of  the  leaf-cutter  bee  in 
cutting  out  the  semicircular  pieces  of  leaves  for  her  patchwork 
nest; — the  thimble-shaped  cells  of  the  ground-bee,  hidden,  in 
clusters,  under  some-  loose  stone  in  the  fields,  made  of  little 
fragments  of  tempered  clay,  and  stored  with  bee-bread,  the 
work  of  many  weeks  for  the  industrious  laborer;  —  the  waxen 
cells  made  by  the  honey-bee,  without  any  teaching,  upon 
purely  mathematical  principles,  measured  only  with  her  an- 
tennae, and  \\Tought  with  her  jaws  and  tongue;  —  the  water- 
tight nests  of  the  hornet  and  wasp,  natural  paper-makers  from 
the  beginning  of  time,  who  are  not  obliged  to  use  rags  or 
ropes  in  the  formation  of  their  durable  paper  combs,  but  have 
applied  to  this  purpose  fibres  of  wood,  a  material  that  the  art 
of  man  has  not  yet  been  able  to  manufacture  into  paper;  — 
the  herculean  labors  of  ants  in  throwing  up  their  hillocks,  or 
mining  their  galleries,  compared  wherewith,  if  the  small  size 
of  the  laborers  be  taken  into  account,  the  efforts  of  man  in  his 
proudest  monuments,  his  pyramids  and  his  catacombs,  dwindle 
into  insignificance.  These  are  only  a  few  of  the  objects  de- 
serving of  notice  among  the  insects  of  this  order ;  many  others 
might  be  mentioned,  that  would  lead  us  to  observe  with  what 
consummate  skill  these  little  creatures  have  been  fashioned, 
and  how  richly  they  have  been  endowed  with  instincts,  that 
never  fail  them  in  providing  for  their  own  welfare,  and  that  of 
their  future  progeny. 

Comparatively  speaking,  there  are  not  many  of  the  Hymeno- 


HYMENOPTERA.  407 

ptera  which  are  actually  or  seriously  injurious  to  vegetation. 
Those  which  I  propose  now  to  describe  are  not  provided  with 
venomous  stings,  and,  consequently,  arc  to  be  included  among 
the  Piercers. 

Such  are  the  saw-flies  (Tenthredinid.e),  insects  that  are 
found  on  the  leaves  of  plants,  and  live  almost  entirely  on  vege- 
table food.  They  are  the  least  active  of  the  Hymenoptera,  are 
sluggish  in  their  habits,  fly  heavily  and  but  little,  and  do  not 
attempt  to  escape  when  touched.  Most  of  them  are  rather 
short  and  somewhat  flattened.  They  have  a  broad  head, 
which,  seen  from  above,  appears  transversely  square.  The 
hind  body  is  not  narrowed  to  a  point  where  it  joins  the  tho- 
rax, but  is  as  broad  as  the  latter,  and  is  closely  united  to  it. 
The  antennae  are  generally  short;  but  they  vary  much  in  form; 
in  many  species  they  are  threadlike  and  slightly  tapering;  in 
some,  thickened  or  knobbed  at  the  end ;  more  rarely  they  end 
suddenly  with  a  few  very  small  joints,  much  more  slender  than 
the  rest;  they  are  feathered  in  some  males,  and  notched  in  the 
other  sex ;  and  sometimes  they  are  forked,  or  divided  into  long 
branches.  Their  wings  cross  and  overlap  each  other,  and  cover 
the  back  horizontally  when  closed.  But  the  most  striking 
peculiarity  of  these  insects  consists  in  the  double  saws  where- 
with the  females  are  provided.  These  are  lodged  in  a  deep 
chink  under  the  hinder  part  of  the  body,  like  the  blade  of  a 
penknife  in  its  handle,  and  are  covered  by  two,  narrow,  scab- 
bard-like pieces.  The  saws  are  two  in  number,  placed  side  by 
side,  with  their  ends  directed  backwards,  and  are  so  hinged  to 
the  under  side  of  the  body  that  they  can  be  withdrawn  from 
the  chink,  and  moved  up  and  down  when  in  use.  They  vary 
in  their  form,  and  in  the  shape  of  their  teeth,  in  different  kinds 
of  saw-flies;  but  they  generally  curve  upwards  and  taper 
towards  the  end,  and  are  toothed  along  the  lower  or  convex 
edges.  Each  of  the  saws,  like  a  carpenter's  fine  saw,  has  a 
back  to  steady  it;  the  blade,  however,  is  not  fastened  to  the 
back,  but  slides  backwards  and  forwards  upon  it.  Moreover, 
the  saw-blade  is  not  only  toothed  on  the  edge,  but  is  covered, 
on  one  side,  with  transverse  rows  of  very  fine  teeth,  giving  to 
it  the  power  of  a  rasp,  as  well  as  that  of  a  saw. 


408  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  female  saw-flies  use  these  ingeniously  contrived  tools 
to  saw  little  slits  in  the  stems  and  leaves  of  plants,  wherein 
they  afterwards  drop  their  eggs.  Some,  it  appears,  lay  their 
eggs  in  fruits ;  for  Mr.  Westwood  discovered  their  young  within 
apples  that  had  fallen  from  the  trees  before  they  had  grown  to 
the  size  of  walnuts.  The  wounds  made  in  plants  by  some 
kinds  of  saw-flies  swell,  and  produce  galls  or  knobs,  that  serve 
for  habitations  and  for  food  to  their  young.  The  eggs,  them- 
selves, of  all  these  flies,  are  found  to  grow,  and  increase  to 
twice  their  former  size  after  they  are  laid,  probably  by  absorb- 
ing the  sap  of  the  plant  through  their  thin  shells. 

Most  of  the  larv5E  or  young  of  the  saw-flies  strikingly  re- 
semble caterpillars,  being  usually  of  a  cylindrical  form,  of  a 
greenish  color,  and  having  several  pairs  of  legs.  Hence  they 
are  sometimes  called  false  caterpillars.  With  the  exception 
of  such  as  belong  to  the  genera  Lyda  and  Cephus,  in  which 
the  legs  are  only  six,  and  the  proplegs  are  entirely  wanting, 
these  false  caterpillars  have  a  greater  number  of  legs  than 
true  caterpillars,  being  provided  with  from  eighteen  to  twenty- 
two  ;  but  their  proplegs  have  not  the  numerous  little  hooks 
that  arm  those  of  caterpillars.  They  have  the  means  of  spin- 
ning silk  from  their  lower  lips,  but  not  often  in  any  great 
quantity.  They  are  mostly  naked  and  without  hairs ;  a  few 
have  forked  prickles  on  their  backs;  some  are  covered  with  a 
white  flaky  substance,  that  easily  rubs  off;  and  others  have  a 
dark  colored  slimy  skin,  which  has  caused  them  to  be  called 
slugs  or  slug-worms.  They  shed  their  skins  about  four  times, 
and,  after  the  last  moulting,  often  materially  change  in  appear- 
ance. Not  only  do  these  insects  resemble  caterpillars  in  their 
forms,  but  they  have  nearly  the  same  habits.  They  are  gen- 
erally found  on  the  leaves  of  plants,  which  they  devour.  Many 
kinds  are  altogether  solitary ;  a  few  live  together  in  swarms, 
under  silken  webs,  which  they  spin  for  a  common  place  of 
shelter;  others  are  found  also  in  swarms,  but  without  any 
webs  over  them,  and,  when  disturbed,  they  throw  up  their 
heads  and  tails,  in  a  very  odd  way;  some  roll  up  leaves,  and 
live  in  the  hollow  thus  formed,  like  the  Tortrices ;  others  make 
portable  cases  of  bits  of  leaves,  which  they  carry  about  on 


HYMENOPTERA.  409 

their  backs,  like  the  TinesB ;  certain  kinds  live  within  the  stems 
of  plants,  and  devour  the  pith ;  and  wheat,  in  Europe,  is  said 
to  suffer  considerable  injury  from  internal  feeders  (Cephus 
pygmmis)  of  this  kind.  When  fully  grown,  most  of  them  go 
into  the  ground,  and  enclose  themselves  in  thin  silken  cocoons, 
of  an  oblong  oval  shape,  coated  with  grains  of  earth.  Some 
make  much  thicker  cocoons,  in  texture  resembling  parchment, 
and  fasten  them  to  the  plants  on  which  they  live,  or  conceal 
them  in  crevices,  or  under  leaves  and  stones  on  the  gi-ound. 
They  generally  remain  for  a  long  time  unchanged  in  their 
cocoons,  most  of  them  during  the  winter;  are  transformed  to 
chrysalids,  of  a  whitish  color,  in  the  spring,  and  come  out  in 
the  wdnged  form  soon  afterwards.  Of  some  kinds  there  are 
two  broods  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  the  false  caterpillars 
of  the  first  brood  coming  to  their  growth,  and  passing  through 
all  their  ti-ansformations,  within  six  or  seven  weeks  from  their 
first  appearance. 

The  names  of  above  sixty  native  species  of  saw-flies  may 
be  found  in  my  "  Catalogue  of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts." 
Some  of  these  are  very  interesting  in  their  appearance  and 
habits  in  the  caterpillar  state.  In  what  follows  an  account 
will  be  given  of  one  of  the  largest  species,  and  of  some  smaller 
kinds,  that  have  been  found  very  injurious  to  cultivated  plants. 

Our  largest  saw-fly  belongs  to  the  genus  Cimhex.  This 
name  was  originally  given  by  the  Greeks  to  certain  insects 
resembling  bees  and  wasps,  but  not  producing  honey.  It 
therefore  applies  very  well  to  some  kinds  of  saw-flies,  such  as 
the  female  of  this  species,  which,  at  first  sight,  might  be  mis- 
taken for  a  hornet.  Her  head  and  thorax  are  shining  black. 
Her  hind  body  is  oval,  and  of  a  steel  blue  or  deep  violet  color, 
with  three  or  four  oval  yellowish  spots  on  each  side.  Her 
antennae  are  buff-colored,  except  at  the  base,  where  they  are 
dusky;  they  are  short,  and  end  with  an  egg-shaped  knob. 
Her  wings  are  smoky  brown,  and  semitransparent.  Her  legs 
are  blue-black,  and  her  feet  pale  yellow.  The  length  of  licr 
body  varies  from  three  quarters  to  seven  eighths  of  an  inch, 
and  her  wings  expand  an  inch  and  three  quarters  or  more.  In 
the  manuscript  lectures  of  the  late  Professor  Peck,  she  is  called 
52 


410  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Cimbex  Vlmi,  because  she  inhabits  the  ehu.  The  male  is  the 
Cimhex  Americana  of  Dr.  Leach,  and  differs  so  much  from 
the  female,  that  it  might  be  taken  for  a  different  species.  His 
bodj  is  longer  and  narrower  than  that  of  the  female,  and 
wants  the  white  spots  on  the  sides;  and  there  is  a  transverse, 
oval  hole,  filled  with  a  whitish  film,  behind  the  thorax,  which 
is  hardly  perceptible  in  the  other  sex.  His  hind  legs  are  very 
thick;  the  shins  are  bowed,  and  hairy  within;  and  the  first 
joint  of  his  feet  ends  with  a  stout  hook,  curved  inw^ards.  He 
often  measures  an  inch  in  length,  and  his  wings  expand  about 
two  inches.  These  insects  appear  from  the  latter  part  of  May 
to  the  middle  of  June,  during  which  period  the  female  lays 
her  eggs  upon  the  common  American  elm,  the  leaves  whereof 
are  the  food  of  her  young.  The  latter  come  to  their  growth 
in  August,  and  then  measure  from  one  inch  and  a  half  to  two 
inches  in  length.  They  are  rather  thick,  and  nearly  cylindrical 
in  form,  and  have  twenty-two  legs,  or  a  pair  to  every  ring 
except  the  fourth.  They  have  a  firm,  rough  skin,  of  a  pale 
greenish  yellow  color,  covered  with  numerous  transverse  wTin- 
kles,  with  a  black  stripe,  consisting  of  two  narrow  black  lines, 
along  the  top  of  the  back,  from  the  head  to  the  tail ;  and  their 
spiracles,  or  breathing-holes,  are  also  black.  When  at  rest, 
they  lie  on  their  sides,  curled  up  in  a  spiral  form,  and,  in  this 
position,  look  not  much  unlike  some  kinds  of  cockle  or  snail 
shells.  Like  all  the  false  caterpillars  of  the  genus  Cimbex, 
this  insect,  when  handled  or  disturbed,  betrays  its  fears  or  its 
displeasure  by  spirting  out  a  watery  fluid  from  certain  little 
pores  situated  on  the  sides  of  its  body  just  above  its  spiracles. 
After  its  feeding  state  is  over,  it  crawls  down  from  the  tree  to 
the  ground,  and  conceals  itself  under  fallen  leaves  or  other 
rubbish,  and  there  makes  an  oblong  oval,  brown  cocoon,  very 
closely  woven,  as  tough  as  parchment,  and  about  an  inch 
in  length.  In  this  the  false  caterpillar  remains  unchanged 
throughout  the  winter,  and  is  not  transformed  to  a  chrysalis 
till  the  following  spring.  At  length  the  insect  bursts  its  chry- 
salis skin,  and,  by  pushing  against  the  end  of  its  cocoon,  forces 
off  a  little  circular  piece  like  a  lid,  and  through  the  opening 
thus  made  it  comes  forth  in  its  winged  form. 


HYMENOPTERA.  411 

For  some  years  past  many  of  the  fir-trees,  cultivated  for 
ornament,  in  this  vicinity,  have  been  attacked  by  swarms  of 
false  caterpillars,  and,  in  some  instances  that  have  fallen  under 
my  notice,  have  been  nearly  stripped  of  their  leaves  every 
summer,  and  in  consequence  thereof  have  been  checked  in 
their  growth,  and  now  seem  to  be  in  a  sickly  condition. 
These  destructive  insects  agree  in  their  habits  and  in  their 
general  appearance,  in  all  their  states,  with  the  pine  and  fir 
saw-flies,  described  by  Kollar,*  by  whose  ravages  whole  forests 
of  these  trees  have  been  destroyed  in  some  parts  of  Germany. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  American  fir  saw-flies  are  not 
identical  with  those  of  Europe,  as  they  differ  from  them  rather 
too  much  to  have  originated  from  the  same  stock ;  neither  do 
they  sufficiently  agree  with  Dr.  Leach's  descriptions  of  Lophy- 
rus  Americanus,  Abbotii,  compar,  &c. ;  and,  therefore,  I  propose 
to  name  this  apparently  undescribed  species  Lophyrus  Abietis, 
the  Lophyrus  of  the  fir-tree.  The  following  is  a  description 
of  the  insect  in  its  winged  state.  The  two  sexes  differ  very 
much  from  each  other  in  size  and  color,  and  still  more  remark- 
ably in  the  form  of  their  antennae.  The  male  is  the  smallest, 
measures  one  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  expands  his 
wings  about  two  fifths  of  an  inch.  His  body  is  black  above, 
and  brown  beneath ;  his  wings  are  transparent,  with  change- 
able tints  of  rose-red,  green,  and  yellow;  and  his  legs  are 
wholly  of  a  dirty  leather-yellow  color.  His  antennae  resemble 
very  short,  black  feathers,  wide  at  the  end,  and  narrowed  to  a 
point,  and  are  curled  inwards  on  each  edge,  so  as  to  appear 
hollow.  The  genus  Lophyrus  derives  its  name  from  the  plume- 
like crest  on  the  heads  of  the  male  insects.  The  body  of  the 
female  is  about  three  tenths  of  an  inch  long,  and  her  wings 
expand  half  an  inch  or  more.  She  is  of  a  yellowish  brown 
color  above,  with  a  short  blackish  stripe  on  each  side  of  the 
middle  of  the  thorax ;  her  body  beneath  and  her  legs  are  paler, 
of  a  dirty  leather-yellow  color;  and  her  wings  resemble  those 
of  the  male.  Her  antennae  are  short,  taper  to  a  point,  consist 
of  nineteen  joints,  and  are  toothed  on  one  side  like  a  saw. 


*  «« Treatise,"  pp.  340  and  347. 


412  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

My  specimens  of  this  kind  of  saw-fly,  which  were  raised  from 
the  caterpillars  in  the  summer  of  1838,  came  out  of  their 
cocoons  towards  the  end  of  July  in  the  same  year;  but  I  have 
also  found  them  on  pines  and  firs  early  in  May.  The  Euro- 
pean pine  saw-flies  lay  their  eggs  in  slits  which  they  make 
with  their  saws  in  the  edges  of  the  leaves;  and  it  is  probable 
that  our  fir  saw-flies  proceed  in  the  same  way.  In  June  and 
July  the  false  caterpillars  of  the  latter  may  be  found  on  firs; 
and,  according  to  notes  made  by  me  many  years  ago,  the  same 
insects,  or  some  very  much  like  them,  were  observed  on  the 
leaves  of  the  pitch-pine  also.  They  are  social  in  their  habits, 
living  together  in  considerable  swarms,  and  so  thick  that  some- 
times two  may  be  seen  feeding  together  on  the  same  leaf,  and 
sitting  opposite  to  each  other.  In  order  to  lay  hold  of  the  leaf 
more  firmly  they  curl  the  hinder  part  of  the  body  around  it; 
and,  if  they  are  disturbed,  they  throw  up  their  heads  and  tails 
with  a  jerking  motion.  When  fully  grown,  they  are  from  five 
to  six  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length ;  they  are  nearly  cylindrical 
in  form,  thickest  before  the  middle,  and  tapering  behind,  and 
have  twenty-two  legs.  The  head,  and  the  first  three  pairs  of 
legs,  are  black.  The  body  is  of  a  pale  and  dirty  green  color 
above,  with  a  light  stripe  along  the  top  of  the  back,  separating 
two  of  a  darker  green  color;  there  are  two  dark  green  stripes 
on  each  side  of  the  body;  and  the  belly  and  proplegs  are  yel- 
lowish. When  young,  the  two  stripes  on  the  back  are  much 
darker,  and  those  on  the  sides  are  nearly  black.  The  skin, 
though  covered  with  very  fine  transverse  wrinkles,  is  not  rough, 
and,  with  a  magnifying  glass,  a  few  short  hairs  may  be  seen 
scattered  over  it.  After  the  last  moulting  their  color  fades, 
and  they  become  almost  yellow.  The  greater  part  of  them 
then  suddenly  leave  the  trees,  either  by  travelling  down  the 
trunks,  or  by  falling  from  the  branches  to  the  ground.  A  few, 
either  from  weakness  or  from  some  other  cause,  remain  on  the 
trees,  make  their  cocoons  among  the  leaves,  and  rarely  finish 
their  transformations,  most  of  them  perishing  from  the  internal 
attacks  of  ichneumon-grubs.  Some  creep  into  cracks  in  fences 
and  into  other  crevices;  but  most  of  those  which  reach  the 
gi'ound  bury  themselves  under  decayed  leaves,  or  among  the 


HYMENOPTERA.  413 

roots  of  the  grass,  and,  in  such  secure  places,  make  their  co- 
coons. The  latter  are  oblong  oval  cases,  of  tough  grayish 
silk,  and  measure  nearly  three  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  In 
due  time  the  insects  change  to  saw-flies,  and  come  out  of  their 
cocoons,  one  end  whereof  separates,  like  a  lid,  to  allow  of 
their  escape.  Although  some  of  them  are  found  to  finish 
their  transformations  in  August,  it  is  probable  that  the  greater 
part  of  them  remain  unchanged  in  the  ground  till  the  follow- 
ing spring. 

No  means  for  the  destruction  of  the  caterpillars  of  the  fir 
saw-fly  have  been  tried  here,  except  showering  them  with 
soapsuds,  and  with  solutions  of  whale-oil  soap,  which  has 
been  found  effectual.  They  may  also  be  shaken  off  or  beaten 
from  the  trees,  early  in  the  morning,  when  they  are  torpid  and 
easily  fall,  and  may  be  collected  in  sheets,  and  be  burned  or 
given  to  swine.  For  other  means  to  check  their  depredations 
the  reader  may  consult  the  articles  on  the  pine  and  fir  saw- 
flies  of  Europe,  contained  in  Kollar's  "  Treatise." 

The  following  account  of  a  kind  of  saw-fly  which  attacks 
the  grape-vine  is  chiefly  extracted  from  my  "  Discourse  before 
the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  in  1832,"  where  the 
insect  is  named  Selandria  Vitis.  The  saw-fly  of  the  vine  is 
of  a  jet-black  color,  except  the  upper  side  of  the  thorax,  which 
is  red,  and  the  fore  legs  and  under  side  of  the  other  legs,  which 
are  pale  yellow  or  whitish.  The  wings  are  semitransparent, 
of  a  smoky  color,  with  dark  brown  veins.  The  body  of  the 
female  measures  one  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  that  of  the 
male  is  somewhat  shorter.  These  flies  rise  from  the  gi-ound 
in  the  spring,  not  all  at  one  time,  but  at  kregular  intervals, 
and  lay  their  eggs  on  the  lower  side  of  the  terminal  leaves  of 
the  vine.  In  the  month  of  July  the  false  caterpillars,  hatched 
from  these  eggs,  may  be  seen  on  the  leaves,  in  little  swarms, 
of  various  ages,  some  very  small,  and  others  fully  grown. 
They  feed  in  company,  side  by  side,  beneath  the  leaves,  each 
swarm  or  fraternity  consisting  of  a  dozen  or  more  individuals, 
and  they  preserve  theur  ranks  with  a  surprising  degree  of  regu- 
larity. Beginning  at  the  edge  they  eat  the  whole  of  the  leaf 
to  the  stalk,  and  then  go  to  another,  which  in  like  manner  they 


414  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

devour,  and  thus  proceed,  from  leaf  to  leaf,  down  the  branch, 
till  they  have  grown  to  their  full  size.  They  then  average  five 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  length,  are  somewhat  slender  and  taper- 
ing behind,  and  thickest  before  the  middle.  They  have  twenty- 
two  legs.  The  head  and  the  tip  of  the  tail  are  black ;  the 
body,  above,  is  light  green,  paler  before  and  behind,  with  two 
transverse  rows  of  minute  black  points  across  each  ring ;  and 
the  lower  side  of  the  body  is  yellowish.  After  their  last 
moulting  they  become  almost  entirely  yellow,  and  then  leave 
the  vine,  burrow  in  the  ground,  and  form  for  themselves  small 
oval  cells  of  earth,  which  they  line  with  a  slight  silken  film. 
In  about  a  fortnight  after  going  into  the  ground,  having  in  the 
mean  time  passed  through  the  chrysalis  state,  they  come  out 
of  their  earthen  cells,  take  wing,  pair,  and  lay  their  eggs  for  a 
second  brood.  The  young  of  the  second  brood  are  not  trans- 
formed to  flies  until  the  following  spring,  but  remain  at  rest 
in  their  cocoons  in  the  ground  through  the  winter.  For  some 
years  previous  to  the  publication  of  my  "  Discourse,"  I  ob- 
served that  these  insects  annually  increased  in  number,  and, 
in  the  year  1832,  they  had  become  so  numerous  and  destruct- 
ive that  many  vines  were  entirely  stripped  of  their  leaves  by 
them.  Whether  the  remedies  then  proposed  by  me,  or  any 
other  means,  have  tended  to  diminish  their  numbers,  or  to 
keep  them  in  check,  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain,  and 
have  had  no  further  opportunity  for  making  observations  on 
the  insects  themselves.  At  that  time,  air-slacked  lime,  which 
was  found  to  be  fatal  to  these  false  caterpillars  of  the  vine, 
was  advised  to  be  dusted  upon  them,  and  strewed  also  upon 
the  ground  under  the  vines,  to  insure  the  destruction  of  such 
of  the  insects  as  might  fall.  A  solution  of  one  pound  of  com- 
mon hard  soap  in  five  or  six  gallons  of  soft  water,  is  used  by 
English  gardeners  to  destroy  the  young  of  the  gooseberry  saw- 
fly;  and  the  same  was  recommended  to  be  tried  upon  the  in- 
sects under  consideration. 

All  the  young  of  the  saw-flies  do  not  so  closely  resemble 
caterpillars  as  the  preceding;  some  of  them,  as  has  akeady 
been  stated,  have  the  form  of  slugs  or  naked  snails.  Of  this 
description  is  the  kind  called  the  slug-worm  in  this  country, 


HYMENOPTERA.  415 

and  the  slimy  grab  of  the  pear-tree  in  Europe.  So  different 
are  these  from  the  other  false  caterpillars,  that  they  would  not 
be  suspected  to  belong  to  the  same  family.  Their  relationship 
becomes  evident,  however,  when  they  have  finished  their  trans- 
formations ;  and  accordingly  we  find  that  the  saw-flies  of  our 
slug-worms  and  those  of  the  vine  are  so  much  alike  in  form 
and  structure,  that  they  are  both  included  in  the  same  genus. 
Moreover,  there  are  certain  false  caterpillars  intermediate  in 
their  forms  and  appearance  between  the  slimy  and  slug-like 
kinds  and  those  that  more  nearly  resemble  the  true  caterpillars; 
thus  admirably  illustrating  the  truth  of  the  remark,  that  nature 
proceeds  not  with  abrupt  or  unequal  steps ;  *  or,  in  other  words, 
that  amidst  the  immense  variety  of  living  forms,  wherewith 
this  earth  has  been  peopled,  there  is  a  regular  gradation  and 
connexion,  which,  in  particular  cases,  if  we  fail  to  discover,  it 
is  rather  to  be  attributed  to  our  own  ignorance  and  short- 
sightedness than  to  any  want  of  harmony  and  regularity  in 
the  plan  of  the  Creator.  In  considering  the  resemblances  of 
species,  we  cannot  fail  to  admire  the  care  that  has  been 
taken,  by  almost  insensible  shades  of  difference  among  them, 
or  by  peculiar  circumstances  controlling  their  distribution, 
their  habits  of  life,  and  their  choice  of  food,  to  prevent  them 
from  commingling,  whereby  each  species  is  made  to  preserve 
forever  its  individual  identity. 

The  saw-fly  of  the  rose,  which,  as  it  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  described  before,  may  be  called  Selandria  Roscc,  from  its 
favorite  plant,  so  nearly  resembles  the  slug-worm  saw-fly  as 
not  to  be  distinguished  therefrom  except  by  a  practised  ob- 
server. It  is  also  very  much  like  Selandria  barda,  Vitis,  and 
pyg-mcBa,  but  has  not  the  red  thorax  of  these  three  closely  allied 
species.  It  is  of  a  deep  and  shining  black  color.  The  first 
two  pairs  of  legs  are  brownish  gray  or  dirty  white,  except  the 
thighs,  which  are  almost  entkely  black.  The  hind  legs  are 
black,  with  whitish  knees.  The  wings  are  smoky,  and  trans- 
parent, with  dark  brown  veins,  and  a  brown  spot  near  the 
middle  of  the  edge  of  the  first  pair.     The  body  of  the  male  is 


*  Natura  saltus  non  facit.     Linnaeus.     Syst.  Nat.  I.  11. 


416  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

a  little  more  than  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  long,  that  of  the 
female  one  fifth  of  an  inch  or  more,  and  the  wings  expand 
nearly  or  quite  two  fifths  of  an  inch.  These  saw-flies  come 
out  of  the  ground,  at  various  times,  between  the  twentieth  of 
May  and  the  middle  of  June,  during  which  period  they  pair 
and  lay  their  eggs.  The  females  do  not  fly  much,  and  may 
be  seen,  during  most  of  the  day,  resting  on  the  leaves ;  and, 
when  touched,  they  draw  up  their  legs,  and  fall  to  the  ground. 
The  males  are  more  active,  fly  from  one  rose-bush  to  another, 
and  hover  around  their  sluggish  partners.  The  latter,  when 
about  to  lay  their  eggs,  turn  a  little  on  one  side,  unsheathe 
their  saws,  and  thrust  them  obliquely  into  the  skin  of  the  leaf, 
depositing,  in  each  incision  thus  made,  a  single  egg.  The 
young  begin  to  hatch  in  ten  days  or  a  fortnight  after  the  eggs 
are  laid.  They  may  sometimes  be  found  on  the  leaves  as  early 
as  the  first  of  June,  but  do  not  usually  appear  in  considerable 
numbers  till  the  t^ventieth  of  the  same  month.  How  long 
they  are  in  coming  to  maturity,  I  have  not  particularly  ob- 
served ;  but  the  period  of  their  existence  in  the  caterpillar 
state  probably  does  not  exceed  three  weeks.  They  somewhat 
resemble  young  slug-worms  in  form,  but  are  not  quite  so  con- 
vex. They  have  a  small,  round,  yellowish  head,  with  a  black 
dot  on  each  side  of  it,  and  are  provided  with  twenty-two  short 
legs.  The  body  is  green  above,  paler  at  the  sides,  and  yellow- 
ish beneath ;  and  it  is  soft,  and  almost  transparent  like  jelly. 
The  skin  of  the  back  is  transversely  wrinkled,  and  covered 
with  minute  elevated  points;  and  there  are  two,  small,  triple- 
pointed  warts  on  the  edge  of  the  first  ring,  immediately  behind 
the  head.  These  gelatinous  and  sluggish  creatures  eat  the 
upper  surface  of  the  leaf  in  large  irregular  patches,  leaving  the 
veins  and  the  skin,  beneath,  untouched ;  and  they  are  some- 
times so  thick  that  not  a  leaf  on  the  bushes  is  spared  by  them, 
and  the  whole  foliage  looks  as  if  it  had  been  scorched  by  fire, 
and  drops  off  soon  afterwards.  They  cast  their  skins  several 
times,  leaving  them  extended  and  fastened  on  the  leaves;  after 
the  last  moulting  they  lose  their  semitransparent  and  greenish 
color,  and  acquire  an  opake  yellowish  hue.  They  then  leave 
the  rose-bushes,  some  of  them  slowly  creeping  down  the  stem, 


HYMENOPTERA.  417 

and  others  rolling  np  and  dropping  off,  especially  when  the 
bushes  are  shaken  by  the  wind.  Having  reached  the  ground, 
they  burrow  to  the  depth  of  an  inch  or  more  in  the  earth, 
w^here  each  one  makes  for  itself  a  small  oval  cell,  of  gi-ains  of 
earth,  cemented  with  a  little  gummy  silk.  Having  finished 
their  transformations,  and  turned  to  flies,  within  their  cells, 
they  come  out  of  the  ground  early  in  August,  and  lay  their 
eggs  for  a  second  brood  of  young.  These,  in  turn,  perform 
their  appointed  w^ork  of  destruction  in  the  autumn  ;  they  then 
go  into  the  ground,  make  their  earthen  cells,  remain  therein 
throughout  the  winter,  and  appear,  in  the  winged  form,  in  the 
following  spring  and  summer. 

During  several  years  past,  these  pernicious  vermin  have  in- 
fested the  rose-bushes  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  and  have 
proved  so  injurious  to  them,  as  to  have  excited  the  attention 
of  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  by  whom  a  pre- 
mium of  one  hundred  dollars,  for  the  most  successful  mode  of 
destroying  these  insects,  was  offered,  in  the  summer  of  1840. 
In  the  year  1832,.  I  first  observed  them  in  gardens  in  Cam- 
bridge, and  then  made  myself  acquainted  with  their  trans- 
formations. At  that  time  they  had  not  reached  JMilton,  my 
former  place  of  residence,  and  they  did  not  appear  in  that  place 
till  six  or  seven  years  later.  They  now  seem  to  be  gradu- 
ally extending  in  all  directions,  and  an  effectual  method  for 
preserving  our  roses  from  their  attacks  has  become  very 
desirable  to  all  persons  who  set  any  value  on  this  beautiful 
ornament  of  our  gardens  and  shrubberies.  Showering  or 
syringing  the  bushes  with  a  liquor,  made  by  mixing  with  water 
the  juice  expressed  from  tobacco  by  tobacconists,  has  been 
recommended ;  but  some  caution  is  necessary  in  making  this 
mixture  of  a  proper  strength,  for  if  too  strong  it  is  injurious  to 
plants ;  and  the  experiment  does  not  seem,  as  yet,  to  have 
been  conducted  with  sufficient  care  to  insure  safety  and  suc- 
cess. Dusting  lime  over  the  plants  when  wet  with  dew  has 
been  tried,  and  found  of  some  use ;  but  this  and  all  other 
remedies  will  probably  yield  in  efficacy  to  Mr.  Haggcrston's 
mixture  of  whale-oil  soap  and  water,  in  the  proportion  of  two 
pounds  of  the  soap  to  fifteen  gallons  of  water.  Particular 
53 


41S  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

directions,  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Haggerston  himself,  for  the  pre- 
paration and  use  of  this  simple  and  cheap  application,  may 
be  found  in  the  "  Boston  Courier,"  for  the  twenty-fifth  of  June, 
1841,  and  also  in  most  of  our  agricultural  and  horticultural 
journals  of  the  same  time.  The  utility  of  this  mixture  has 
already  been  repeatedly  mentioned  in  this  treatise,  and  it  may 
be  applied  in  other  cases  with  advantage.  Mr.  Haggerston 
finds  that  it  effectually  destroys  many  kinds  of  insects ;  and 
he  particularly  mentions  plant-lice,  red  spiders,  canker-worms, 
and  a  little  jumping  insect,  which  has  lately  been  found  quite 
as  hurtful  to  rose-bushes  as  the  slugs  or  young  of  the  saw-fly. 
The  little  insect,  alluded  to,  has  been  mistaken  for  a  Thrips 
or  vine-fretter;  it  is,  however,  a  leaf-hopper,  or  species  of  Tet- 
tig-oma,  and  is  described  in  a  former  part  of  this  treatise. 

According  to  the  plan  to  which  I  have  found  it  necessary  to 
limit  this  work,  only  one  more  species  of  saw-fly  remains  to 
be  described.  Of  the  habits  and  transformations  of  this  insect 
the  late  Professor  Peck  has  given  us  an  admirable  account, 
under  the  title  of  a  "Natiu-al  History  of  the  Slug- worm," 
which  was  printed  in  Boston,  in  the  year  1799,  by  order  of 
the  "  Massachusetts  Agricultural  Society,"  and  obtained  the 
Society's  premium  of  fifty  dollars  and  a  gold  medal.  As  my 
own  observations  on  this  insect  agree  perfectly  with  those 
of  Professor  Peck,  in  the  following  remarks  I  have  merely 
abridged  and  condensed  his  "  Natural  History  of  the  Slug- 
worm,"  a  work  now  out  of  print,  and  rarely  to  be  met  with. 
It  will  be  proper  to  premise  that  Professor  Peck  was  inclined 
to  believe  this  slug-fly  to  be  a  variety  of  the  Tcnthredo  Cerasi 
of  Linnaeus,  an  insect  found  more  commonly  on  the  pear-tree 
in  Europe  than  on  the  cherry,  although  it  has  a  specific  name 
derived  from  the  latter  tree.  Most  naturalists  now  reject  the 
name  given  by  Linnaeus  to  the  slimy  grub  of  the  pear-tree, 
because  it  is  not  strictly  correct,  and  substitute  a  specific  name 
imposed  upon  it  by  Fabricius.  The  European  insect,  there- 
fore, is  now  called  Selandria  {Blennocampa)  JEthiops;  and  a 
good  account  of  it,  by  Mr.  Westwood,  may  be  found  in  the 
thirteenth  volume  of  "  The  Gardener's  Magazine."  It  is  pos- 
sible that  our  slug-fly  may  have  been  imported  from  Europe, 


HYMENOPTERA.  419 

and  it  may  turn  out  to  be  really  a  mere  variety  of  the  Euro- 
pean insect.  Professor  Peck  was  aware  that  it  did  not  agree 
with  the  description,  given  by  Linnaeus,  of  the  latter ;  and  it 
appears  to  me  that  the  difference  between  the  two  insects,  in 
their  winged  state,  is  enough  to  entitle  them  to  be  considered 
as  specifically  distinct  from  each  other.  For  this  reason  I 
shall  retain  for  our  insect  the  specific  name  adopted  by  Pro- 
fessor Peck,  because  this  slug  does  really  live  upon  the 
cherry,  in  this  country,  as  well  as  on  the  pear  tree ;  and  shall 
merely  prefix  to  it  the  generical  name  which  it  should  bear 
according  to  modern  nomenclature.  The  fly  of  our  slug-worm 
may  therefore  be  called  Selandria  {Blennocampa)  Cerasi.  The 
meaning  of  the  word  Selandria  is  unknown  to  me.  Blenno- 
campa signifies  slimy  caterpillar,  a  name  which,  it  will  be  seen, 
may  be  applied  with  great  propriety  to  our  slug-worm. 

This  slug-fly  is  of  a  glossy  black  color,  except  the  first  two 
pairs  of  legs,  which  are  dirty  yellow  or  clay-colored,  with 
blackish  thighs,  and  the  hind  legs,  which  are  dull  black,  with 
clay-colored  knees.  The  wings  are  somewhat  convex  and 
rumpled  or  uneven  on  the  upper  side,  like  the  wings  of  the 
saw-flies  generally.  They  are  transparent,  reflecting  the 
changeable  colors  of  the  rainbow,  and  have  a  smoky  tinge, 
forming  a  cloud  or  broad  band  across  the  middle  of  the  first 
pair ;  the  veins  are  brownish.  The  body  of  the  female  meas- 
ures rather  more  than  one  fifth  of  an  inch  in  length ;  that  of  the 
male  is  smaller.  In  the  year  1828,  I  observed  these  saw-flies, 
on  cherry  and  plum  trees,  in  Milton,  on  the  tenth  of  May ;  but 
they  usually  appear  towards  the  end  of  May  or  early  in  June. 
Soon  afterwards  some  of  them  begin  to  lay  their  eggs,  and  all 
of  them  finish  this  business  and  disappear  within  the  space  of 
three  weeks.  Their  eggs  are  placed,  singly,  within  little  semi- 
circular incisions  through  the  skin  of  the  leaf,  and  generally 
on  the  lower  side  of  it.  The  flies  have  not  the  timidity  of 
many  other  insects,  and  are  not  easily  disturbed  while  laying 
their  eggs.  On  the  fourteenth  day  afterwards,  the  eggs  begin 
to  hatch,  and  the  young  slug-worms  continue  to  come  forth 
from  the  fifth  of  June  to  the  twentieth  of  July,  according  as 
the  flies  have  appeared  early  or  late  in  the  spring.     At  first 


420  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  slugs  are  white ;  but  a  slimy  matter  soon  oozes  out  of 
their  skin  and  covers  their  backs  with  an  olive-colored  sticky 
coat.  They  have  twenty  very  short  legs,  or  a  pair  under  each 
segment  of  the  body  except  the  fourth  and  the  last.  The 
largest  slugs  are  about  nine  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
when  fully  grown.  The  head,  of  a  dark  chestnut  color,  is 
small,  and  is  entirely  concealed  under  the  fore  part  of  the 
body.  They  are  largest  before,  and  taper  behind,  and  in  form 
somewhat  resemble  minute  tadpoles.  They  have  the  faculty 
of  swelling  out  the  fore  part  of  the  body,  and  generally  rest 
with  the  tail  a  little  turned  up.  These  disgusting  slugs  live 
mostly  on  the  upper  side  of  the  leaves  of  the  pear  and  cherry 
trees,  and  eat  away  the  substance  thereof,  leaving  only  the 
veins  and  the  skin  beneath  untouched.  Sometimes  twenty  or 
thirty  of  them  may  be  seen  on  a  single  leaf;  and,  in  the  year 
1797,  they  were  so  abundant,  in  some  parts  of  Massachusetts, 
that  small  trees  were  covered  wdth  them,  and  the  foliage  en- 
tirely destroyed;  and  even  the  air,  by  passing  through  the 
trees,  became  charged  with  a  very  disagreeable  and  sickening 
odor,  given  out  by  these  slimy  creatures.  The  trees  attacked 
by  them  are  forced  to  throw  out  new  leaves,  during  the  heat 
of  the  summer,  at  the  ends  of  the  twigs  and  branches  that 
still  remain  alive  ;  and  this  unseasonable  foliage,  which  should 
not  have  appeared  till  the  next  spring,  exhausts  the  vigor  of 
the  trees,  and  cuts  off  the  prospect  of  fruit.  The  slug-worms 
come  to  their  growth  in  twenty-six  days,  during  which  period 
they  cast  their  skins  five  times.  Frequently,  as  soon  as  the 
sldn  is  shed,  they  are  seen  feeding  upon  it ;  but  they  never 
touch  the  last  coat,  which  remains  stretched  out  upon  the  leaf. 
After  this  is  cast  off,  they  no  longer  retain  their  slimy  appear- 
ance and  olive  color,  but  have  a  clean  yellow  skin,  entirely 
free  from  viscidity.  They  change  also  in  form,  and  become 
proportionally  longer ;  and  their  head  and  the  marks  between 
the  rings  are  plainly  to  be  seen.  In  a  few  hours  after  this 
change,  they  leave  the  trees,  and,  having  crept  or  fallen  to  the 
ground,  they  burrow  to  the  depth  of  from  one  inch  to  three  or 
four  inches,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  soil.  By  moving 
their  body,  the  earth  around  them  becomes  pressed  equally  on 


HYMEXOPTERA.  421 

all  sides,  and  an  oblong  oval  cavity  is  thus  formed,  and  is  after- 
wards lined  with  a  sticky  and  glossy  substance,  to  which  the 
grains  of  earth  closely  adhere.  Within  these  little  earthen  cells 
or  cocoons  the  change  to  chrysalids  takes  place ;  and,  in  six- 
teen days  after  the  descent  of  the  slug-worms,  they  finish  their 
transformations,  break  open  their  cells,  and  crawl  to  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground,  where  they  appear  in  the  fly  form.  These 
flies  usually  come  forth  between  the  middle  of  July  and  the 
first  of  August,  and  lay  their  eggs  for  a  second  brood  of  slug- 
worms.  The  latter  come  to  their  growth,  and  go  into  the 
ground,  in  September  and  October,  and  remain  there  till  the 
following  spring,  when  they  are  changed  to  flies,  and  leave 
their  winter  quarters.  It  seems  that  all  of  them,  however,  do 
not  finish  their  transformations  at  this  time ;  some  are  found 
to  remain  unchanged  in  the  ground  till  the  following  year;  so 
that,  if  all  the  slugs  of  the  last  hatch  in  any  one  year  should 
happen  to  be  destroyed,  enough,  from  a  former  brood,  would 
still  remain  in  the  earth  to  continue  the  species. 

The  disgusting  appearance  and  smell  of  these  slug-worms 
do  not  protect  them  from  the  attacks  of  various  enemies. 
Mice  and  other  burrowing  animals  destroy  many  of  them  in 
their  cocoons,  and  it  is  probable  that  birds  also  prey  upon 
them  when  on  the  trees,  both  in  the  slug  and  the  winged 
states.  Professor  Peck  has  described  a  minute  ichneumon- 
fly,  stated  by  Mr.  Westwood  to  be  a  species  of  Enci/rlns,  that 
stings  the  eggs  of  the  slug-fly,  and  deposits  in  each  one  a 
single  egg  of  her  own.  From  this,  in  due  time,  a  little  mag- 
got is  hatched,  which  lives  in  the  shell  of  the  slug-fly's  egg, 
devours  the  contents,  and  afterwards  is  changed  to  a  chrysalis, 
and  then  to  a  fly  like  its  parent.  Professor  Peck  found  that 
great  numbers  of  the  eggs  of  the  slug-fly,  especially  of  the 
second  hatch,  were  rendered  abortive  by  this  atom  of  existence. 

Ashes  or  quicklime,  sifted  on  the  trees  by  means  of  a  sieve 
fastened  to  the  end  of  a  pole,  was  recommended,  by  the  late 
Hon.  John  Lowell,  of  Roxbury,  for  the  destruction  of  the  slugs; 
and  it  is  found  to  answer  the  purpose.  It  is  probable  that  IVIr. 
Haggerston's  almost  universal  remedy  may  prove  to  be  still 
more  effectual. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  saw-flies,  though  undoubtedly  belonging  to  the  order 
Hymenoptera,  depart  from  the  general  characters  thereof  more 
than  any  other  insects  in  it.  They  are  more  dull  and  heavy 
in  all  their  motions ;  they  have  not  the  powerful  jaws  of  the 
predaceous  tribes,  nor  the  long  and  slender  lower  jaws  and 
tongue  of  those  that  subsist  upon  honey.  They  live  but  a 
short  time,  and  their  food  appears  to  be  pollen,  the  tender 
parts  of  leaves,  and  sometimes  the  plant-lice  and  other  soft- 
bodied  insects  frequenting  flowers.  In  the  stifliiess  of  their 
upper  wings,  and  the  heaviness  of  their  flight,  they  somewhat 
resemble  beetles,  and,  analogically,  may  be  said  to  typify  the 
Coleoptera,  or,  in  other  words,  they  may  be  called  the  beetles 
of  the  Hymenoptera.  They  will  be  found,  on  comparison,  to 
have  some  features  in  common  with  the  crickets,  which,  with 
the  earwigs,  are  also  the  representatives  of  the  Coleoptera. 
Although  they  differ  essentially  from  butterflies  and  moths, 
the  resemblance  of  most  of  their  young  to  caterpillars,  in  form 
and  in  habits,  is  very  striking  and  remarkable.  Hence  the 
saw-flies  plainly  show  the  relation  existing  between  the  orders 
Lepidoptera  and  Hymenoptera,  and  serve  closely  to  connect 
them  together. 

The  next  piercing  insects  to  be  described  belong  to  the 
family  of  Urocerid^,  or  horn-tails,  so  called  because  they 
have  a  horny  point  at  the  end  of  the  body.  The  Germans 
call  them  wood-wasps.  Their  antennfe  are  slender,  and  thread- 
like, or  tapering.  They  have  a  large  head,  convex  before,  and 
flat  behind  where  it  joins  the  thorax.  Their  wings  are  long, 
narrow,  and  strong,  and  overlap  on  the  top  of  the  back,  when 
closed.  The  body  is  very  long,  and  nearly  or  quite  cylindrical ; 
the  thorax  and  the  after  part  of  the  body  are  of  equal  thick- 
ness, and  are  closely  joined  together.  The  horn,  at  the  end, 
is  short,  and  conical  or  triangular,  in  the  males;  longer,  and 
sometimes  spear-pointed,  in  the  females.  Moreover  the  latter 
are  provided  with  a  long,  cylindrical  borer,  hinged  to  the  middle 
of  the  belly,  which  is  furrowed  to  receive  it.  The  borer  usu- 
ally extends  some  distance  beyond  the  end  of  the  body,  and 
consists  of  five  pieces.  The  two  outermost  are  grooved  within, 
and,  when  shut,  form  a  hollow  tube  or  scabbard  to  the  others, 


HYMENOPTERA.  423 

one  of  which  represents  the  two  backs  of  the  saws  of  the  saw- 
flies,  joined  together,  and  encloses  two  needles  for  boring  holes. 
The  part,  serving  for  a  back  to  these  needles,  is  notched  on 
each  side,  and  the  needles  themselves,  w^hich  are  as  fine  as  a 
hair,  and  as  strong  and  clastic  as  wire,  have  several  small 
teeth  along  the  lower  side  towards  the  end.  These  needles, 
and  the  back  in  which  they  play,  are  so  connected  as  to  ap- 
pear to  be  only  a  single  spear-pointed  awl.  With  this  com- 
plicated and  powerful  tool  the  females  bore  holes  into  the 
trunks  of  trees,  w^herein  they  drop  their  eggs.  Their  young 
are  cylindrical  and  fleshy  grubs,  of  a  whitish  color,  wdth  a 
small,  rounded,  horny  head,  and  a  pointed  and  horny  tail. 
They  have  six  very  small  legs  under  the  fore  part  of  the  body, 
and  are  provided  with  sti'ong  and  powerful  jaws,  wherewith 
they  bore  long  holes  in  the  trunks  of  the  trees  that  they  in- 
habit. Like  other  borers,  these  grubs  are  wood-eaters,  and 
often  do  gi'eat  damage  to  pines  and  firs,  wherein  they  are  most 
commonly  found.  When  fully  grown,  the  grubs  make  thin 
cocoons  of  silk,  interwoven  with  little  chips,  in  their  bun*ows, 
and  in  them  go  through  then*  transformations.  The  chrysalis 
is  somewhat  like  the  winged  insect  in  form,  but  is  of  a  yellow- 
ish white  color,  till  near  the  time  of  its  last  change,  and  the 
wings  and  legs  are  folded  under  the  breast;  in  all  these  respects 
it  agrees  with  the  chrysalids  of  other  Hymenopterous  insects. 
After  the  chrysalis  skin  is  cast  off",  the  winged  insect  breaks 
through  its  cocoon,  creeps  to  the  mouth  of  its  bun-ow,  and 
gnaws  through  the  covering  of  bark  over  it,  so  as  to  come  out 
of  the  tree  into  the  open  air.  It  is  stated  that  the  gi-ubs  of 
the  large  species  come  to  their  growth  in  seven  weeks  after  the 
eggs  are  laid.  If  this  be  true,  and  it  seems  hardly  possible, 
the  chrysalis  state  must  last  a  long  time,  for  the  perfected 
insects  have  been  known  to  come  out  of  timber  that  had  been 
cut  up  and  applied  to  mechanical  uses  by  the  carpenter.  Some 
persons  have  supposed  that  they  attacked  only  diseased  and 
decayed  trees,  in  which  it  must  be  admitted  they  are  often 
found  in  great  numbers.  But  many  instances  might  be  men- 
tioned of  their  appetite  for  sound  wood  also,  and  it  is  probable 
that  the  presence  of  these  insects,  like  that  of  many  others,  is 


424  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  cause  and  not  the  consequence  of  the  decay  of  the  trees 
wherein  they  live.  It  is  stated  in  the  London  "  Zoological 
Journal,"  that  two  hundred  Scotch  firs  have  been  destroyed  by 
the  Urocerus  Juvencus,  in  the  woods  of  Henham  Hall,  the  seat 
of  the  Earl  of  Stanhope,  their  trunks  being  bored  through  and 
through  by  the  grubs  of  this  insect.  INIr.  Westwood  relates* 
that  a  piece  of  wood,  twenty  feet  in  length,  from  a  fir-tree  in 
Bewdley  Forest,  Worcestershire,  England,  was  found  to  be 
so  intersected  by  the  burrows  of  these  grubs,  as  to  be  fit  for 
nothing  but  firevk^ood ;  and  that  the  winged  insects  continued 
to  come  out  of  it,  at  the  rate  of  five,  six,  or  more  each  day, 
for  the  space  of  several  weeks.  Mr.  Marsham  states,  on  the 
authority  of  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  that  several  specimens  of  Uro- 
cerus gigas  were  seen  to  come  out  of  the  floor  of  a  nursery  in 
a  gentleman's  house,  to  the  no  small  alarm  and  discomfiture 
of  both  nurse  and  children.  The  grubs  must  therefore  have 
existed  in  the  boards  or  timbers  before  they  were  employed  in 
building,  and  these  materials  would  not  have  been  used  if  in  a 
decayed  state.  The  sexes  of  most  of  these  insects  differ  con- 
siderably in  size  and  color,  and  in  the  shape  of  their  body  and 
of  their  hind  legs.  There  are  not  many  different  kinds,  but 
they  are  very  prolific,  and  abound  in  mountainous  districts, 
and  in  temperate  climates,  where  forests  of  pines  and  firs  pre- 
vail. A  new  order  was  proposed  for  their  reception  by  Mr. 
Macleay,  and  was  named  Bomboptera,  on  account  of  the  hum- 
ming sound  that  they  make  in  flying.  Their  young  partake  of 
the  nature  of  the  wood-eating  grubs  of  the  Capricorn  beetles, 
which  therefore  they  may  be  said  to  represent,  as  the  saw-flies 
do  some  of  the  leaf-eating  insects  of  the  same  order. 

Eight  of  the  URocERm.E  are  enumerated  in  my  "  Catalogue 
of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts,"  including  two  kinds  of 
Xiphydria,  which  are  now  known  to  belong  to  the  same 
family. 

In  the  autumn  of  1826,  Major  E.  M.  Bartlett,  of  North- 
ampton, "  found,  on  the  body  of  one  of  his  almost  lifeless 
pear-trees,  a  dead  insect,  about  one  inch  and  a  half  long,  at- 

*  "Introduction  to  the  Modern  Classification  of  Insects,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  118. 


IIYMENOPTERA.  425 

tached  to  the  tree  by  its  awl  or  borer,  of  about  the  same 
length,  near  an  inch  of  which  was  fast  in  the  hard  wood ;  and 
there  were  several  deep  punctures  near  it,  evidently  made  hy 
the  same  instrument,  and  in  some  of  them  eggs  were  deposit- 
ed."    Not  long  afterwards  Major  Bartlett  found  that  the  body 
of  this  tree,  two  or  three  feet  from  the  ground  was  pierced 
with  many  small  holes,  to  the  depth  of  an  inch  or  more,  and, 
in  these  holes,  there  were  great  numbers  of  larvfe,  about  one 
sixth  of  an  inch  in  length,  which  he  supposed  were  hatched 
from  the  eggs  seen  there  before ;  and  he  came  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  tree  was  "  destroyed  by  the  deadly  needles  of  the 
winged  insect"   above   mentioned.*      The   latter  was    subse- 
quently sent  to  me  for  examination,  and  enabled  me  to  furnish 
an  account  of  it,  which,  with  a  description  of  the  male  insect, 
was  published  in  January,  1827,  in  the  fifth  volume  of  the 
"  New  England  Farmer."     The  insect  proved  to  be  the  Sirex 
Columba  of  Linnsus,  or  Tremex  Columba  of  modern  natural- 
ists.    Sirex  is  a  corruption  of  the  Greek  name  for  a  wild  bee ; 
Tremex  signifies  a  perforator,  or  maker  of  holes;  and  Columba 
a  pigeon.     The  body  of  the  female   is  cylindrical,  about  as 
thick  as  a  common  lead-pencil,  and  an  inch  and  a  half,  or  more, 
in  length,  exclusive  of  the  borer,  which  is  an  inch  long,  and 
projects  three  eighths  of  an  inch  beyond  the  end  of  the  body. 
The  latter  rounds  upwards,  like  the  stem  of  a  boat,  and  is 
armed  with  a  point  or  short  horn.     The  head  and  the  thorax 
are  rust-colored,  varied  with  black.     The  abdomen,  or  iiinder 
and  longest  part  of  the  body,  is  black,  with  seven  ochre-yellow 
bands  across  the  back,  all  of  them  but  the  first  two  interrupted 
in  the  middle.     The  horned  tail,  and  a  round  spot  before  it, 
impressed  as  if  with  a  seal,  are  ochre-yellow.     The  antenuEe 
are  rather  short  and  blunt,  rust-colored,  with  a  broad  black  ring 
in  the  middle.     The  wings  expand  two  inches  and  a  quarter, 
or  more;  they  are  smoky  brown  and  semitransparent.     The 
legs  are  ochre-yellow,  with  blackish  thighs.     The  borer,  awl,  or 
needle,  is  as  thick  as  a  bristle,  spear-pointed  at  the  end,  and  of 
a  black  color;  it  is  concealed,  when  not  in  use,  between  two 


*  See  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  V.,  pp.  1G7,  Ho,  186,  and  211. 

54 


426  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

narrow  rust-colored  side-pieces,  forming  a  kind  of  scabbard  to 
it.  This  insect  is  figured  and  described  in  tlie  second  volume 
of  the  late  Mr.  Say's  "  American  Entomology."  The  male 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  described  by  any  author;  and, 
although  agreeing,  in  some  respects,  with  the  two  other  spe- 
cies, represented  by  INIr.  Say,  is  evidently  distinct  from  both  of 
them.  He  is  extremely  unlike  the  female,  in  color,  form,  and 
size,  and  is  not  furnished  with  the  remarkable  borer  of  the 
other  sex.  He  is  rust-colored,  variegated  with  black.  His 
antennee  are  rust-yellow  or  blackish.  His  wings  are  smoky, 
but  clearer  than  those  of  the  female.  His  hind  body  is  some- 
what flattened,  rather  widest  behind,  and  ends  with  a  conical 
horn.  His  hind  legs  are  flattened,  much  wider  than  those  of 
the  female,  and  of  a  blackish  color;  the  other  legs  are  rust- 
colored,  and  more  or  less  shaded  with  black.  The  length  of 
his  body  varies  from  three  quarters  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  and 
a  quarter;  and  his  wings  expand  from  one  inch  and  a  quarter 
to  two  inches,  or  more. 

An  old  elm-tree  in  this  vicinity  used  to  be  a  favorite  place 
of  resort  for  the  Tremex  Coliimba,  or  pigeon  Tremex;  and 
around  it  great  numbers  of  the  insects  were  often  collected, 
during  the  months  of  July  and  August,  and  the  early  part  of 
September.  Six  or  more  females  might  frequently  be  seen  at 
once  upon  it,  employed  in  boring  into  the  trunk  and  laying 
their  eggs,  while  swarms  of  the  males  hovered  around  them. 
For  fifteen  years  or  more,  some  large  button-wood  trees,  in 
Cambridge,  have  been  visited  by  them  in  the  same  way.  The 
female,  when  about  to  lay  her  eggs,  draws  her  borer  out  of  its 
sheath,  till  it  stands  perpendicularly  under  the  middle  of  her 
body,  when  she  plunges  it,  by  repeated  wriggling  irvotions, 
through  the  bark  into  the  wood.  When  the  hole  is  made  deep 
enough,  she  then  drops  an  egg  therein,  conducting  it  to  the 
place  by  means  of  the  two  furrowed  pieces  of  the  sheath. 
The  borer  often  pierces  the  bark  and  wood  to  the  depth  of 
half  an  inch  or  more,  and  is  sometimes  driven  in  so  tightly 
that  the  insect  cannot  draw  it  out  again,  but  remains  fastened 
to  the  tree  till  she  dies.  The  eggs  are  oblong  oval,  pointed  at 
each  end,  and  rather  less  than  one  twentieth  of  an  inch  in 


HYMENOPTERA.  427 

length.  The  larva,  or  grub,  is  yellowish  white,  of  a  cylindrical 
shape,  rounded  behind,  with  a  conical,  horny  point  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  hinder  extremity,  and  it  grows  to  the  length 
of  about  an  inch  and  a  half.  It  is  often  destroyed  by  the 
maggots  of  two  kinds  of  ichneumon-flies  [Pimp/a  atrala  and 
lunator  of  Fabricius).  These  flies  may  frequently  be  seen 
thrusting  their  slender  borers,  measuring  from  three  to  four 
inches  in  length,  into  the  trunks  of  trees  inhabited  by  the 
grubs  of  the  Tremex  and  by  other  wood-eating  insects;  and, 
like  the  female  Tremex,  they  sometimes  become  fastened  to 
the  trees,  and  die  without  being  able  to  draw  their  borers  out 
again. 

Urocerus  albicornis,  of  Fabricius,  the  white-horned  Urocerus, 
has  white  antenna,  longer  and  more  tapering  than  those  of  the 
pigeon  Tremex,  and  black  at  each  end.  The  female  is  of  a 
deep  blue-black  color,  with  an  oval  white  spot  behind  each 
eye,  and  another  on  each  side  of  the  hinder  part  of  the  abdo- 
men. The  horn  on  the  tail  is  long,  and  shaped  like  the  head 
of  a  lance.  The  wings  are  smoky  brown,  and  semitransparent. 
The  legs  are  black,  with  white  joints.  The  body  measiues 
about  an  inch  in  length,  and  the  wings  expand  nearly  two 
inches.  The  male  has  a  black  head,  with  a  white  spot,  on 
each  side,  behind  the  eyes.  His  thorax  and  legs  are  black. 
His  abdomen  is  flattened,  and  rust-colored,  and  ends  with  a 
flattened  horny  point.  He  measures  about  an  inch  in  length. 
This  species,  which  is  not  common,  has  been  found  on  pine- 
trees  in  July. 

Urocerus  nitidus,  the  polished  horn-tail,  is  an  undcscribed 
species,  for  which  I  am  indebted  to  the  Rev.  L.  W.  Leonard. 
The  male  is  not  known  to  me.  The  female  is  of  a  deep  blue 
color,  downy  on  the  head  and  thorax,  smooth  and  highly  pol- 
ished on  the  abdomen,  the  end  of  which  is  armed  with  a 
flattened  horny  point.  Her  wings  are  clear  and  perfectly 
transparent,  with  brownish  veins,  and  have  only  a  faint  smoky 
tinge  towards  the  tip.  Her  legs  are  ochre-yellow.  The  body 
of  this  insect  measures  rather  more  than  three  quarters  of  an 
inch,  exclusive  of  the  horn  on  the  tail.  This  insect  differs 
from  the  European    Urocerus  Juvencus  in  the  much  greater 


428  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

brilliancy  of  its  color,  and  in  having  shorter  antenncp.  The 
borer  of  this  and  of  the  preceding  species  resembles,  in  form 
and  structure,  that  of  the  pigeon  Tremex,  and  is  used  in  the 
same  way. 

Urocerus  abdominaUs*  the  black  and  orange  horn-tail,  of 
which  only  the  male  is  known  to  me,  has  not  been  described 
before.  It  is  black,  with  the  four  middle  segments  of  the 
abdomen  deep  orange.  There  is  a  pale  yellow  spot  behind 
each  eye;  the  front  corners  of  the  thorax  are  pale  brownish 
yellow;  and  there  are  two  minute  yellowish  scales  on  the  back 
part  of  the  thorax.  The  abdomen  is  flattened  and  widened 
behind,  and  ends  with  a  flattened  or  triangular  point.  The 
antennae  are  long  and  tapering,  of  a  reddish  brown  color,  with 
the  two  extremities  black.  The  wings  are  transparent,  with 
brown  veins,  and  are  a  little  smoky  at  the  tips.  The  first  four 
legs  are  ochre-yellow,  with  black  thighs;  and  the  hind  legs  are 
black,  with  yellow  knees  and  feet.  This  insect  varies  in  length 
from  six  tenths  to  more  than  three  quarters  of  an  inch.  It  is 
found  in  July,  on  the  trunks  of  the  white  pine. 

Mr.  Westwood  has  ascertained  that  the  grubs  of  the  insects 
belonging  to  the  genus  Xiphydria  have  the  same  form  and 
habits  as  those  of  the  horn-tailed  wood-wasps.  The  name 
comes  from  a  word  signifying  a  small  sword,  in  allusion  to  the 
borer  of  the  female,  which  is  shorter  than  in  the  preceding 
horn-tails.  The  winged  insects  have  a  rounded  head,  distant 
from  the  thorax,  to  the  lower  part  of  which  it  is  joined  by  a 
slender  conical  neck.  The  body  is  nearly  cylindrical,  a  little 
flattened,  somewhat  turned  up  behind,  and  ends  with  an  ob- 
tuse point.  The  antennae  are  short,  curved,  and  tapering  at 
the  end. 

Xiphydria  albicornis  of  my  "  Catalogue,"  or  the  white-horned 
Xiphydria,  has  white  antennae  with  the  two  lowest  joints  black. 
The  head  is  black,  with  a  narrow  white  line  around  each  of 
the  eyes,  forming  a  large  oval,  interrupted  only  in  two  places, 


*  So  named  from  the  great  contrast  in  the  colors  of  the  abdomen.  In  my 
"Catalogue"  it  stands  under  the  genus  Sirex  of  Linnpcus,  which  is  the  same  as 
Urocerus  of  Geoffroy. 


HYMENOPTERA.  496^ 

on  each  side  of  the  head.  The  body  is  black,  with  a  spot  on 
the  front  corners  of  the  thorax,  and  six  spots  on  each  side  of 
the  abdomen,  of  a  white  color.  The  legs  are  reddish  yellow 
or  honey-yellow,  with  dusky  feet.  The  wings  are  transparent, 
and  have  blackish  veins.  The  body  measures  from  six  tenths 
to  nearly  three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  length.  This  insect  is 
found  on  the  trunks  of  trees  of  soft  wood,  in  August. 

Xiphydria  mellipes,  of  my  "  Catalogue,"  may  be  merely  a 
variety  of  the  preceding,  from  which  it  differs  chiefly  in  having 
only  four  white  spots  on  each  side  of  the  abdomen.  It  is  four 
tenths  of  an  inch  long.  I  am  indebted  to  the  Rev.  L.  W. 
Leonard  for  specimens  of  these  two  species. 

The  name  of  the  genus  Oryssus  comes  from  a  Greek  word 
signifying  to  dig  holes.  The  insects  belonging  to  it  differ 
considerably  from  the  other  Uroceridcc,  but,  from  what  little  is 
known  respecting  them,  they  appear  to  have  the  same  habits. 
They  have  a  cylindrical  body,  almost  rounded  behind,  or  bluntly 
pointed,  and  not  distinctly  horned.  Their  heads  are  large,  and 
very  rough  on  the  front.  Their  antennaj  appear  to  come  out 
of  the  mouth,  being  inserted  close  to  it,  under  the  outer  angles 
of  the  visor;  are  rather  short,  curved,  and  thread-like;  and  are 
unequal  in  the  number  and  size  of  the  joints,  in  the  two  sexes. 
They  have  a  short  and  thick  neck.  Their  borer  is  very  slen- 
der, is  entirely  concealed  in  a  deep  and  narrow  chink  under 
the  hinder  part  of  the  body,  and  is  coiled  up  at  its  base,  so 
that  it  can  be  darted  out  to  some  distance  when  extended. 
The  fore  legs  of  the  females  are  very  thick,  and  have  only 
three  joints  to  the  feet;  while  the  rest,  as  well  as  all  of  the  feet 
of  the  male,  are  five-jointed.  Their  wings  have  but  few  veins 
and  meshes  in  them.  These  insects  are  active,  fly  quickly, 
and  love  to  alight  and  run  about  on  the  sunny  side  of  the 
trunks  of  trees,  wherein  they  are  supposed  to  lay  their  Qg,g^- 

For  a  long  time,  only  two  kinds  of  Oryssus  were  known  to 
naturalists,  and  both  of  them  were  European  insects.  In  the 
year  1833,  three  undescribed  species  were  enumerated  in  my 
"Catalogue  of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts;"  and  these,  in 
the  second  edition  of  the  "  Catalogue,"  which  was  published 
early  in  1835,  received  the  following  descriptive  names,  by 


480  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

means  whereof  an  entomologist  would  find  little  or  no  difficulty 
in  recognizing  them;  namely,  hccmorrhoidalis,  the  red-tailed, 
manrus,  the  dark-colored,  and  affinis,  the  allied,  so  called  from 
its  near  resemblance  to  the  preceding  species.  These  singular 
insects  were  taken  upon  a  willow-tree,  by  my  friend,  the  Rev. 
L.  W.  Leonard,  and  were  presented  to  me  many  years  ago. 

The  red-tailed  Oryssus  has  been  renamed  and  described,  by 
JNIr.  Newman,  in  the  October  number  of  the  fifth  volume*  of 
"  The  Entomological  Magazine,"  published  in  London  in  1838. 
It  is  his  Oryssus  terminalis.  The  female  only  is  known  to  me. 
Her  body  is  black,  rough  before,  and  smooth  behind,  with  the 
last  three  segments  of  a  blood-red  color.  The  outer  side  of 
the  fourth  and  fifth  joints  of  her  antennae,  her  knees,  and  a 
line  on  the  outer  edge  of  her  shins,  are  white.  Her  feet  are 
dull  red.  Her  wings  are  clear  and  transparent,  with  a  broad, 
smoky  brown,  transverse  band,  beyond  the  middle  of  the  first 
pair.    Her  body  measures  nearly  six  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length. 

The  dark-colored  Oryssus  is  probably  the  same  as  one  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Westwood,  in  1835,  in  the  fifth  volume  f  of 
"  The  Zoological  Journal,"  under  the  name  of  Oryssus  Sayiu 
in  honor  of  the  late  Mr.  Say,  who  sent  him  the  insect.  It  is 
of  a  deep  black  color,  rough  before  and  smooth  behind,  and  is 
marked  with  white  on  the  antennte  and  legs,  like  the  red-tailed 
kind,  with  the  addition  of  two  short  white  lines  on  the  fore- 
head, between  the  lower  corners  of  the  eyes.  The  feet  are 
black.  The  wings  have  a  smoky  band  beyond  the  middle, 
which,  however,  fades  away  towards  the  inner  margin.  I  have 
seen  only  females  of  this  species,  and  they  measure  from  four 
to  five  tenths  of  an  inch  in  length. 

It  is  possible  that  my  Oryssus  qffinis,  which  is  a  male,  may 
be  the  mate  of  the  foregoing  dark-colored  species,  from  which 
it  differs  in  having  reddish  feet,  and  in  wanting  the  two  white 
spots  on  the  forehead.  It  measures  four  tenths  of  an  inch  in 
length. 

From  this  somewhat  extended  account,  it  is  evident  that  we 
have  very  little  power  over  the  insects  of  the  foregoing  family. 

*  Page  486.  t  Page  440. 


HYMEXOPTERA.  431 

The  most  that  we  can  do  towards  checking  their  ravages,  will 
be  to  destroy  the  females,  whenever  they  arc  found  laying 
their  eggs. 

The  four-winged  gall-flies  have  very  little  outward  resem- 
blance to  the  saw-flies  and  horn-tailed  wood-wasps.  They 
agree  with  them,  however,  in  boring  into  plants,  and  in  laying 
their  eggs  therein.  Vegetation  does  not  often  suffer  much 
injury  from  their  attacks,  and  it  is  only  on  account  of  the  very 
singular  productions,  called  galls,  arising  from  the  irritating 
punctures  of  these  insects,  that  the  attention  of  cultivators  is 
at  all  likely  to  be  drawn  to  them.  There  are  some  two-winged 
flies,  and  also  some  other  insects,  which  produce  various  kinds 
of  excrescences  or  galls  on  plants;  but  these,  now  under  con- 
sideration, are  very  small,  foar-winged  insects,  belonging  to 
the  order  Hymenoptera,  and  distinguished  by  the  following 
peculiarities.  The  head  is  small;  the  antennee  are  rather 
short,  slender,  and  thread-like;  and  the  thorax  is  thick  and 
hunched.  The  abdomen  or  hind  body,  viewed  sidewise,  ap- 
pears round  or  oval,  but  it  is  sharp-edged  above  and  below, 
very  thin  or  pinched  up  at  the  sides,  and  is  hung  to  the  thorax 
by  a  very  short  and  slender  stem.  The  fore  wings  are  rather 
long,  and  have  only  a  few  veins  in  them;  the  hind  wings  are 
smaU,  and  seemingly  veinless.  The  borer  of  the  females  is 
very  long,  and  slender,  concealed  in  the  under  side  of  the  hind 
body,  the  curvature  whereof  it  follows,  and  is  capable  of  being 
straightened  and  thrust  out  of  a  narrow  chink,  which  is  cov- 
ered by  two  little,  grooved,  sheath-like  pieces,  that  serve  to 
conduct  the  eggs  into  the  holes  made  with  the  instrument. 
The  genus  containing  most  of  the  gall-flies  was  called,  by 
Geoff'roy,  Diplolepis,  that  is,  double  scales,  on  account  of  the 
two  pieces  that  cover  the  opening  for  the  borer  in  the  hinder 
part  of  the  abdomen.  The  same  insects,  however,  had  pre- 
viously been  placed  by  Linnaeus  in  the  genus  Ci/nips,  so  called 
from  a  word  used  by  ancient  authors  to  designate  some  small 
piercing  insect.  The  Linnecan  name,  though  for  some  time 
rejected,  has  been  restored  to  the  gall-flies,  which  accordingly 
are  now  included  in  a  family  called  Cynipid^.  The  punctures, 
made  by  these  insects  in  the  leaves,  buds,  stems,  and  roots  of 


432  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

plants,  are  followed  by  swellings  of  the  wounded  parts,  which 
increase  rapidly  in  size,  and  become  spongy  or  pulpy  within. 
The  thin-skinned  eggs,  dropped  into  the  punctures,  grow 
awhile,  by  absorbing  the  sap  around  them,  and,  when  at  length 
they  are  hatched,  the  little  grubs,  proceeding  therefrom,  find 
themselves  comfortably  bedded  within  the  pulpy  tumors,  and 
plentifully  supplied  with  food  on  every  side.  They  feed  on 
the  vegetable  substance  immediately  around  them,  come  to 
their  growth  in  due  time,  cast  their  skins,  and  appear  first  in 
the  chrysalis  and  then  in  the  winged  form,  and  finally  gnaw 
their  way  through  the  hard  shell  of  the  galls,  and  come  out 
into  the  open  air.  There  are  a  few  of  the  grubs,  however, 
that  leave  the  galls  when  fully  grown,  and  finish  their  trans- 
formations in  the  ground.  The  grubs  or  young  of  the  gall-flies 
are  of  a  whitish  color,  and  somewhat  resemble  maggots,  but 
are  shorter  and  thicker,  and  have  a  small,  distinct  head.  They 
are  without  proper  legs,  and  move  only  by  means  of  the  swollen 
edges  of  their  rings,  with  the  aid,  it  is  said,  of  certain  little 
contractile  warts,  on  their  bodies,  that  serve  them  instead  of 
feet.  There  are  almost  as  many  kinds  of  galls  as  there  are 
species  of  gall-flies;  and  each  species  confines  its  attacks  to 
some  one  sort  of  plant,  and  to  some  particular  part  thereof. 
It  is  wonderful  that  there  should  be  such  a  diversity  in  the 
forms  and  texture  of  the  galls  of  insects  so  nearly  resembling 
each  other  in  form  and  structure;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
each  species  of  gall-fly  should  invariably  produce  galls  of  the 
same  kind.  Many  galls  are  very  irregular  and  uneven,  others 
are  round  and  resemble  fruits;  some  are  srhooth,  others  are 
beset  with  prickles,  or  covered  with  a  woolly  substance;  some 
hang  by  little  stems,  others  are  perfectly  flat,  and  adhere  closely 
to  the  surface  of  leaves.  At  first  they  are  soft  or  spongy  within, 
but,  after  some  time,  they  become  hard  and  almost  or  quite 
woody.  The  eggs  of  some  gall-flies  do  not  hatch  till  the  galls 
begin  to  grow  hard  on  the  outside ;  this  is  the  reason  why  w^e 
do  not  find  any  insects  within  certain  kinds  of  gaUs,  so  long 
as  they  remain  soft  and  unripe.  The  round  and  hard  Aleppo 
galls,  or  nutgalls  of  commerce,  used  in  the  making  of  ink,  in 
coloring,  and  in  medicine,  are  caused  by  the  punctures  of  the 


HYMENOPTERA. 

Oynips  gallos  tinctorico,  on  a  kind  of  oak,  growing  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  Asia;  and  the  insect  may  often  be  found  in  those 
which  are  not  pierced  with  holes.  Some  galls  contain  only  a 
single  insect,  lodged  in  a  little  cavity  in  the  centre ;  other  kinds 
are  inhabited  by  several  grubs,  each  in  a  cell  by  itself,  and  the 
cells  not  unfrequently  resemble  numerous  small  seeds,  clustered 
together  in  the  middle  of  a  fruit.  Two  or  three  different  kinds 
of  insects  are  often  found  to  come  from  one  gall,  namely,  a 
few  gall-flies,  which  are  the  lawful  proprietors  thereof,  and 
more  numerous  four-winged  flies  (Chalcidid.e),  with  elbowed 
antennae.  The  latter  are  bred  from  grubs,  which  devour  the 
grubs  of  some  of  the  gall-flies,  or  starve  them  by  eating  up 
their  food,  and  thereby  contribute  to  check  the  too  great  in- 
crease of  the  gall-flies. 

The  largest  galls  found  in  this  country  are  commonly  called 
oak-apples.  They  grow  on  the  leaves  of  the  red  oak,  are  round 
and  smooth,  and  measure  from  an  inch  and  a  half  to  two 
inches  in  diameter.  This  kind  of  gall  is  green  and  somewhat 
pulpy  at  first,  but,  when  ripe,  it  consists  of  a  thin  and  brittle 
shell,  of  a  dirty  drab  color,  enclosing  a  quantity  of  brown 
spongy  matter,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  a  woody  kernel  about 
as  big  as  a  pea.  A  single  grub  lives  in  the  kernel,  becomes  a 
chrysalis  in  the  autumn,  when  the  oak-apple  falls  from  the 
tree,  changes  to  a  fly  in  the  spring,  and  makes  its  escape  out 
of  a  small  round  hole  which  it  gnaws  through  the  kernel  and 
shell.  This  is  probably  the  usual  course,  but  I  have  known 
this  gall-fly  to  come  out  in  October.  The  name  of  this  insect 
is  Cyriips  conjluens*  Its  head  and  thorax  are  black,  and  are 
rough  with  numerous  little  pits  and  short  hairs;  the  hind  body 
is  smooth,  and  of  a  shining  pitch  color;  the  legs  are  dull 
brownish  red;  and  the  fore  wings  have  a  brown  spot  near  the 
middle  of  the  outer  edge.  Its  body  is  nearly  one  quarter  of 
an  inch  long,  and  its  wings  expand  five  eighths  of  an  inch. 

A  dwarf  oak  {Quercns  infectoria),  growing  on  the  borders 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  produces  galls  somewhat  like  the  foregoing, 
which  have  been  supposed  to  be  the  apples  of  Sodom,  described 


*  Diplolepis  confluentus  of  my  "  Catalogue,"  and  so  named  by  Mr.  Say. 
55 


^*  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

by  ancient  writers  as  fruits  fair  to  the  view,  but  crumbling 
into  dust  when  handled.  A  late  writer,*  however,  has  shown 
that  these  tempting  and  deceptive  productions  are  the  real 
fruits  of  a  tree,  the  Asclepias  procera,  resembling  our  common 
silk-weed  in  its  botanical  characters. 

Clusters  of  three  or  four  round  and  smooth  galls  are  often 
seen  on  the  small  twigs  of  the  white  oak.  They  are  nearly 
as  large  as  bullets,  of  a  greenish  color  on  one  side,  and  red  on 
the  other.  They  approach  in  hardness  to  the  Aleppo  galls, 
and  perhaps  might  be  put  to  the  same  use.  Each  one  is  the 
nest  of  a  single  insect,  which  turns  to  a  fly  and  eats  its  way 
out,  in  June  and  July,  having  passed  the  winter  as  a  chrysalis, 
within  the  gall,  lodged  in  a  clay-colored  egg-shaped  case,  about 
three  twentieths  of  an  inch  long,  and  with  a  brittle  shell. 
These  little  cases  appear  to  be  cocoons,  but  are  not  made  of 
silk  or  fibrous  matter.  Similar  cocoons  are  found  within  many 
other  galls,  and  I  have  some  which  were  discovered  under 
stones,  and  were  not  contained  in  galls,  but  produced  gall-flies, 
the  insects  having  left  their  galls  to  finish  their  transformations 
in  the  ground.  The  gall-fly  of  the  white  oak  varies  in  color. 
Sometimes  it  closely  resembles  the  gall-fly  of  our  oak-apple, 
differing  from  it  only  in  size,  and  in  wanting  the  brownish 
spot  and  dark-colored  veins  on  the  fore  wings;  and  sometimes 
it  is  of  a  dull  brownish  yellow  color,  with  a  brown  spot  on  the 
back.  It  is  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  long,  and  its  wings 
expand  three  tenths  of  an  inch.  It  is  the  Diplolcpis,  or  more 
properly  Cynips,  oneratus  of  my  "  Catalogue." 

Galls  of  the  size  and  color  of  grapes  are  found  on  the  leaves 
of  some  oaks.  Each  one  contains  a  grub,  which  finishes  its 
transformations  in  June.  The  winged  insect  is  my  C//nips 
nubilipennis.,  or  cloudy-winged  Cynips,  so  named  from  the 
smoky  cloud  on  the  tips  of  its  wings.  Excepting  in  this  re- 
spect, it  closely  resembles  the  dark-colored  variety  of  Cynips 
oneratus,  and  very  little  exceeds  it  in  size. 

One  of  our  smallest  gall-flies  may  be  called  Cynips  seminator, 
or  the  sower.     She  lays  a  great  number  of  eggs  in  a  ring-like 

*  Robinson's  "  Biblical  Researches  in  Palestine,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  235. 


HYMENOPTERA.  435 

cluster  around  the  small  twigs  of  the  white  oak,  and  her  punc- 
tures are  followed  by  the  growth  of  a  rough  or  shaggy  reddish 
gall,  as  large  sometimes  as  a  walnut.  When  this  is  ripe,  it  is 
like  brittle  sponge  in  texture,  and  contains  numerous  little 
seed-like  bodies,  adhering  by  one  end  around  tiic  sides  of  the 
central  twig.  These  seeming  seeds  have  a  thin  and  tough 
hull,  of  a  yellowish  white  color;  they  are  egg-shaped,  pointed 
at  one  end,  and  are  nearly  one  eighth  of  an  inch  long.  The 
gall-insects  live  singly,  and  undergo  their  transformations, 
within  these  seeds;  after  which,  in  order  to  come  out,  they 
gnaw  a  small  hole  in  the  hull,  and  then  easily  work  their  way 
through  the  spongy  ball  wherein  they  are  lodged.  They  are 
less  than  one  tenth  of  an  inch  long,  are  almost  black,  or  of  the 
color  of  pitch,  highly  polished,  especially  on  the  abdomen,  and 
their  mouth,  antennse,  and  legs  are  cinnamon-colored. 

It  has  been  observed  that  no  tree  in  Europe  yields  so  many 
different  kinds  of  galls  as  the  oak.  Those  which  I  have  de- 
scribed are  not  all  that  are  found  on  oaks  in  this  country,  and 
they  seem  to  be  sufficiently  distinct  from  the  galls  of  European 
oaks. 

Round,  prickly  galls,  of  a  reddish  color,  and  rather  larger 
than  a  pea,  may  often  be  seen  on  rose-bushes.  Each  of  them 
contains  a  single  grub,  and  this  in  due  time  turns  to  a  gall-fly, 
which  may  be  called  Cynips  bicolor,  the  two-colored  Cynips. 
Its  head  and  thorax  are  black,  and  rough  with  numerous  little 
pits;  its  hind  body  is  polished,  and,  with  the  legs,  of  a  brown- 
ish red  color.  It  is  a  large  insect  compared  with  the  size  of 
its  gall,  measuring  nearly  one  fifth  of  an  inch  in  length,  while 
the  diameter  of  its  gall,  not  including  the  prickles,  rarely  ex- 
ceeds three  tenths  of  an  inch. 

C/jnips  dicklocenis,  or  the  gall-fly  with  two-colored  antennae, 
is  of  a  brownish  red  or  cinnamon  color,  with  four  little  longi- 
tudinal grooves  on  the  top  of  the  thorax,  the  lower  part  of  the 
antennee  red,  and  the  remainder  black.  It  varies  in  being 
darker  sometimes,  and  measures  from  one  eighth  to  three  six- 
teenths of  an  inch  in  length.  Great  numbers  of  these  gall-flies 
are  bred  in  the  irregular  woody  galls,  or  long  excrescences,  of 
the  stems  of  rose-bushes. 


436  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  small  roots  of  rose-bushes,  and  of  other  plants  of  the 
same  family,  sometimes  produce  rounded,  warty,  and  woody 
knobs,  inhabited  by  numerous  gall-insects,  which,  in  coming 
out,  pierce  them  with  small  holes  on  all  sides.  The  winged 
insects  closely  resemble  the  dark  varieties  of  the  preceding 
species,  in  color,  and  in  the  little  furrows  on  the  thorax ;  but 
their  legs  are  rather  paler,  and  they  do  not  measure  more  than 
one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length.  This  species  has  been  named 
Ci/nips  semipiceus. 

Monstrous  swellings  of  buds,  and  various  other  kinds  of 
excrescences,  may  often  be  seen  on  plants ;  but  my  specimens 
of  the  insects  producing  them  are  not  in  a  condition  to  be 
described.  The  foregoing  account,  however,  will  serve  to 
illustrate  the  habits  of  some  of  our  most  common  gall-flies, 
and  explain  the  origin,  forms,  and  structure  of  their  singular 
productions.  Such  excrescences,  as  soon  as  they  are  observed 
on  plants  of  any  value,  should  immediately  be  cut  oft,  and 
put  into  the  fire. 

Gall-insects,  as  abeady  stated,  are  often  destroyed  by  little 
parasites  belonging  to  the  family  Chalcidid^  ;  and  as  these 
are  liable  to  be  mistaken  for  the  former,  especially  when  coming 
from  the  same  gall,  it  may  be  well  to  point  out  the  difterence 
between  them.  The  four-winged  gall-flies  have  rather  long, 
straight,  threadlike,  and  ascending  antennae;  the  fore  wings 
with  a  few  veins,  forming  two  triangular  meshes,  one  of  which 
is  very  small,  and  situated  near  the  middle  of  the  wing,  the 
other  mesh  much  larger,  and  near  the  base ;  the  hind  body 
roundish  but  laterally  compressed;  and  the  piercer  spiral  or 
curved,  and  concealed.  The  Chalcidians  have  shorter,  elbowed, 
and  drooping  antennae,  which  are  enlarged  towards  the  end; 
a  single  vein,  running  from  the  shoulder  near  the  outer  margin 
of  the  fore  wing,  uniting  with  this  margin  near  its  middle,  and 
emitting  thence,  towards  the  disk  of  the  wing,  a  short  oblique 
branch,  which  is  enlarged  or  forked  at  the  end;  the  hind  body 
generally  oval,  pointed  at  the  end  in  the  females,  and  provided 
in  this  sex  with  a  straight  piercer,  which  is  more  or  less  visible 
beneath,  and  prominent  at  the  extremity.  By  means  of  their 
piercers,  the  Chalcidians  thrust  their  eggs  into  the  galls  made 


HYMENOPTERA.  437 

by  various  kinds  of  gall-insects,  and  the  maggots,  hatched 
from  these  eggs,  devour  the  young  of  the  gall-flies.  Nor  do 
they  destroy  these  alone;  they  prey  upon  many  other  larvae, 
especially  caterpillars,  and  also  on  pnpie  or  chrysalids.  Some 
of  them  are  egg-parasites,  puncturing  the  eggs  of  other  insects, 
and  depositing  therein  their  ow^n  tiny  eggs.  They  are  the 
minute  ichneumon^  {Ichneumones  minvti)  of  Linnasus,  and, 
like  the  true  ichneumon-flies,  they  are  eminently  useful  in 
checking  the  increase  of  the  noxious  tribes.  Such  being  the 
known  habits  and  services  of  the  greater  part  of  the  Chalcid- 
ians,  it  may  seem  singular  that  any  doubt  should  exist  in 
regard  to  others  of  them.  There  are,  however,  some  kinds 
which  have  been  thought  to  produce  galls  themselves,  instead 
of  being  the  parasites  of  gall-insects;  certain  species  wearing 
indeed  the  form  of  a  Chalcidian,  but  appearing  to  have  the 
habits  of  a  Cynips.  These  species  belong  to  the  genus  Etinj- 
^owa,  which,  though  agreeing  in  structure  with  the  Chalcidians, 
Professor  Nees  von  Esenbeck  was  inclined  to  place  among  the 
Cynipid^,  because  he  took  them  to  be  gall-makers.  Mr.  West- 
wood*  controverts  this  opinion;  and  Dr.  Ratzebnrgf  considers 
it  as  founded  upon  error.  It  may  nevertheless  be  correct,  if 
there  be  no  mistake  in  the  result  of  observations  made  upon 
the  insects,  called  barley-straw  insects  and  joint-worms,  that 
produce  gall-like  swellings  upon  the  stems  of  barley  and  of 
wheat  in  this  country. 

In  the  years  1829  and  1830  several  communications  were 
published  in  the  eighth  volume  of  Fessenden's  "  New  England 
Farmer,"  \  respecting  a  disease  of  barley-straw,  produced  by 
the  punctures  of  insects.  The  first  account  of  this  disease 
that  has  fallen  under  my  notice,  is  contained  in  an  extract 
from  a  letter,  dated  Augnst  16th,  1829,  from  the  Honorable 
John  Merrill,  of  Newburyport,  to  Mr.  Fcssenden;  wherein  it 
is  stated,  that  the  barley,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Newburyport, 
yielded  only  a  very  small  crop ;  on  some  farms  not  much  more 

*  "Modern  Classification  of  Insects,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  161,  note, 
t  ••  Die  Ichneumonen  der  Forsiinsectcn."     I.,  p.  172. 

+  Pages  43,  138,  217,  299,  330,  and  402.     Also  Vol.  IX.,  p.  2.,  and  Vol.  X., 
p.  11. 


438  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

than  the  seed  sown.  Most  of  the  stalks  were  found  to  have  a 
number  of  small  worms  within  them,  near  to  the  second  joint, 
and  had  become  hardened  in  the  part  attacked,  from  the  in- 
terruption of  the  circulation  of  the  sap.  During  several  years 
previous  to  this  date,  the  barley  crops,  in  various  parts  of 
Essex  and  Middlesex  counties,  were  more  or  less  injured  in 
the  same  way;  and,  in  some  places,  the  cultivation  of  this 
grain  was  given  up  in  consequence  thereof.  It  was  supposed 
that  the  insects,  producing  this  disease,  were  imported  from 
Bremen,  or  some  other  port  in  the  north  of  Em-ope,  in  some 
barley  that  was  sown  in  the  vicinity  of  Newbury,  three  or 
four  years  before  1829.*  The  worms  or  maggots  were  found, 
by  John  M.  Gourgas,  Esq.,  of  Weston,  Massachusetts,  to  be 
transformed  to  small  flies,  "about  the  make  and  size  of  a 
small  black  ant,  with  wings,"  which  were  thought,  by  some 
persons,  to  be  the  same  as  the  Hessian  (lies.  In  the  summer 
of  1831,  myriads  of  these  flies  were  found  alive  in  straw  beds 
in  Gloucester;  the  straw  having  been  taken  from  the  fields 
the  year  before.  An  opinion  at  that  time  prevailed,  that  the 
troublesome  humors,  ^vherewith  many  persons  were  then 
afflicted,  were  occasioned  by  the  bites  of  these  flies;  and  it  is 
stated  that  the  straw  beds  in  Lexington,  being  found  to  be 
infested  with  the  same  insects,  were  generally  burnt.f  Mr. 
Gourgas  observes,  |  that  when  the  barley  is  about  eight  or  ten 
inches  high,  the  effects  of  the  disease  in  it  begin  to  be  visible 
by  a  sudden  check  in  the  growth  of  the  plants,  and  the  yellow 
color  of  their  lower  leaves.  If  the  butts  of  the  straw  are  now 
examined,  they  will  be  found  to  be  irregularly  swollen,  and 
discolored,  between  the  second  and  third  joints,  and,  instead 
of  being  hollow,  are  rendered  solid,  hard,  and  brittle,  so  that 
the  stem  above  the  diseased  part  is  impoverished,  and  seldom 
produces  any  grain.  Suckers,  however,  shoot  out  below,  and 
afterwards  yield  a  partial  crop,  seldom  exceeding  one  half  the 
usual  quantity  of  grain.     Dr.   Andrew  Nichols,  of  Danvers, 


*  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  VIII.,  p.  217. 
t  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  X.,  p.  11. 
X  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  VIII.,  p.  299. 


HYMENOPTERA.  439 

states,*  that  the  worms  are  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in 
length,  and  of  a  yellow  or  straw  color;  and  that,  in  the  month 
of  November,  they  appeared  to  have  passed  to  the  chrysalis 
state.  They  live  through  the  winter  unchanged  in  the  straw, 
many  of  them  in  the  stubble  in  the  field,  while  others  are 
carried  away  when  the  grain  is  harvested.  When  the  barley 
is  threshed,  numerous  small  pieces  of  diseased  straw,  too  hard 
to  be  broken  by  the  flail,  will  be  found  among  the  grain.  Some 
of  these  may  be  separated  by  the  winnowing  machine,  but 
many  others  are  too  large  and  heavy  to  be  winnowed  out,  and 
remain  with  the  grain,  from  which  they  can  only  be  removed 
by  the  slow  process  of  picking  them  out  by  hand. 

In  the  winter  of  1829,  Cheever  Newhall,  Esq.,  furnished  me 
with  a  few  pieces  of  diseased  barley-straw,  each  of  whicii 
contained  several  small  whitish  maggots.  Since  that  time 
this  affection  of  the  barley  has  only  once  fallen  under  my  no- 
tice, though  I  have  reason  to  think  that  it  continues  to  prevail 
in  many  parts  of  Massachusetts.  Each  maggot  was  imbedded 
in  the  thickened  and  solid  substance  of  the  stem,  in  a  little 
longitudinal  hollow,  of  the  shape  of  its  own  body;  and  its 
presence  was  known  by  an  oblong  swelling  upon  the  surface. 
In  some  pieces  of  straw  the  swellings  were  so  numerous  as 
greatly  to  disfigure  the  stem,  the  circulation  in  which  must 
have  been  very  much  checked  if  not  destroyed.  Early  in  the 
following  spring  these  maggots  entered  the  pupa  or  chrysalis 
state,  and  on  the  fifteenth  of  June  the  perfected  insects  began 
to  make  theu'  escape  through  minute  perforations  in  the  straw, 
which  they  gnawed  for  this  purpose.  Seven  of  these  little 
holes  were  counted  in  a  piece  of  straw  only  half  an  inch  in 
length.  The  insects  continued  to  release  themselves  from  their 
confinement  till  the  fifth  of  July,  after  which  no  more  were 
seen.  Much  to  my  surprise  they  proved  to  be  minute,  four- 
winged  flies,  belonging  to  the  genus  Eiirytoma.  Supposing 
these  insects  to  be  parasites,  in  accordance  with  the  known 
habits  of  others  of  the  same  family,  I  described  them  as  such, 
under  the  name  of  Eurytoma  Hordei  (so  called  from  Hordeum, 


*  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  VIII.,  p.  133. 


4*0  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  Latin  for  barley),  in  the  "  New  England  Farmer,"  for  July 
23,  1830,*  and  in  the  first  edition  of  this  work.  It  was  then 
my  belit^f  that  the  true  culprits,  or  original  cause  of  the  disease, 
would  prove  to  be  some  species  of  CecidoniT/ia,  allied  to  but 
distinct  from  the  Hessian  fly;  and  that  they,  while  in  the  larva 
or  pupa  state,  had  been  preyed  upon  and  destroyed  by  the 
Euri/toma.  The  larvre  of  the  Hessian  fly  are  often  destroyed 
by  a  somewhat  similar  Chalcidian  parasite,  great  numbers  of 
which  have  been  observed,  in  their  winged  form,  in  wheat- 
fields,  and  have  then  been  mistaken  for  Hessian  flies.  The 
body  of  the  Eurytoma  Hordei  is  jet  black,  and  slightly  hairy. 
The  head  and  thorax  are  opaque,  and  rough  with  dilated 
punctures.  The  hind  body  is  smooth  and  polished.  The 
thighs,  shanks,  and  claw-joints  are  blackish;  the  knees,  and 
the  other  joints  of  the  feet  are  pale  honey-yellow.  The  females 
are  twelve  or  thirteen  hundreths  of  an  inch  long.  The  males 
are  rather  smaller,  and  are  distinguished  from  the  females  by 
the  following  characters.  They  have  no  piercer.  The  joints 
of  their  antennae  are  longer,  and  are  surrounded  with  whorls 
of  little  hairs.  The  hind  body  is  shorter,  less  pointed  behind, 
and  is  connected  with  the  thorax  by  a  longer  stem  or  peduncle. 
These  insects  are  very  active,  and  move  by  little  leaps;  but 
the  hindmost  thighs  are  not  thickened.  About  eight  years 
ago,  some  of  these  insects,  that  had  come  from  a  straw  bed  in 
Cambridge,  were  shewn  to  me.  They  had  proved  very  trouble- 
some to  children  sleeping  on  the  bed;  their  bites  or  stings 
being  followed  by  considerable  inflammation  and  irritation, 
which  lasted  several  days.  So  numerous  were  the  insects 
that  it  was  found  necessary  to  empty  the  bed-tick  and  burn 
the  straw.  Since  that  time,  I  have  heard  nothing  more  either 
of  the  insects  or  of  the  disease  of  barley-straw  in  this  part  of 
the  country. 

My  attention  was  again  called  to  the  history  of  the  barley- 
straw  insect  by  an  article  on  the  joint-worm,  published  at 
Albany  in  "  The  Cultivator,"  for  October,  1851.  The  account 
given  in  this  magazine,  by  Mr.  Rives,  of  the  ravages  of  the 

«  Vol.  IX.,  p.  2. 


IIYMEXOPTEIIA.  441 

joint-worm  in  the  wheat-fields  of  Virginia,  and  the  remarks 
by  Dr.  Fitch  on  the  pecuHar  aft'ection  of  the  wheat-straw  pro- 
duced by  this  worm,  led  me  to  suspect  that  the  disease  was 
identical  with  that  which  had  been  observed  in  barley-straw, 
and  that  it  originated  from  the  same  cause.  In  the  article 
above  named,  Dr.  Fitch  appears  to  have  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  disease  was  produced  by  some  species  of  Ceci- 
domijia.  He  found  the  disease  of  the  wheat-straw  to  be  situ- 
ated immediately  above  the  lower  joint,  in  the  sheathino- 
base  of  the  leaf,  the  substance  of  which,  for  a  distance  ex- 
ceeding half  an  inch,  was  much  swollen,  and  was  changed 
to  a  more  solid  and  wood-like  texture,  while  the  surface  ex- 
hibited several  long  pale  spots,  slightly  elevated  like  a  blister. 
The  hollow  of  the  stem  was  entirely  obliterated,  at  some 
parts,  by  the  pressure  of  the  enlarged  portion  of  the  sheath, 
and  was  hardly  visible  at  others.  Each  of  the  blistered  spots 
covered  an  elongated  cavity,  containing  a  footless  worm  or 
maggot,  about  ten  hundredths  of  an  inch  long,  of  an  oval 
form,  rather  more  tapering  posteriorly  than  towards  the  head, 
and  divided  by  slight  constrictions  into  thirteen  segments. 
The  worm  was  soft,  shining,  of  a  uniform  milk-white  color, 
"with  a  small  V  shaped  brown  line  marking  the  situation  of 
the  mouth.  "  So  exactly,"  remarks  Dr.  Fitch,  "docs  this  worm 
in  its  form  and  appearance  resemble  the  larvse  of  the  Hessian 
fly  and  other  species  of  Cecidomyia  which  have  fallen  under 
my  examination,  that  I  entertain  no  doubt  it  pertains  to  the 
same  genus  of  insects." 

On  the  16th  of  March,  1852,  F.  G.  Ruffin,  Esq.,  of  Shad- 
well,  Virginia,  the  editor  of  "  The  Southern  Planter,"  sent  to 
me  that  paper  for  July,  1851,  containing  some  account  of  the 
joint-worm,  and  with  it  a  few  samples  of  diseased  wheat-straw. 
A  much  larger  quantity  of  the  straw,  soon  afterwards  received 
from  him,  was  divided  into  two  unequal  portions,  the  larger 
of  which  was  sent  to  Dr.  Fitch,  in  the  hope  that  between  us 
something  definite  concerning  the  origin  of  the  disease  might 
be  obtained.  Upon  examining  my  samples,  I  found  that  the 
disease  was  not  invariably  confined  to  the  sheathing  base  of 
the  leaf,  but  that,  in  many  cases,  it  was  seated  in  the  joint 
56 


442  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

itself,  the  whole  substance  of  which  became  enlarged  and 
distorted.  In  a  smaller  number  of  cases,  it  was  found  to 
occupy  the  culm  or  stem,  above  the  joint,  which  was  swollen 
so  as  to  form  an  irregular  gall-like  tumor,  while  the  leaf-sheath 
remained  unaffected.  These  Avoody  tumors  had  several  little 
cells  in  them,  varying  in  number  from  six  to  ten  or  more;  and 
every  cell  contained  an  insect,  in  the  pupa  or  chrysalis  state. 
The  samples  of  straw  reserved  for  myself  were  put  into  a 
small  glass  jar  to  secure  the  insects  when  they  had  completed 
their  transformations.  Early  in  May,  winged  insects  began 
to  perforate  the  tumors  and  come  forth,  and  they  continued  to 
issue  during  ten  daj^s  or  more.  Their  appearance  was  probably- 
hastened  by  the  jar  being  kept  in  the  house  instead  of  being 
exposed  to  the  air  abroad.  These  insects  so  nearly  resemble 
in  form,  size,  and  color,  the  Eurytovia  formerly  obtained  from 
the  barley-straw,  that  I  am  persuaded  they  are,  at  least,  mere 
varieties  of  the  same  species,  if  not  absolutely  identical.  The 
only  apparent  difference  between  them  consists  in  the  color  of 
the  fore  shanks;  these,  in  the  wheat-insects,  being  pale  yellow, 
and  faintly  tinged  with  black  only  on  the  outer  edges,  in  a 
few  individuals.  Among  fifteen  specimens  only  one  male  was 
found,  and  this  did  not  appear  till  the  month  of  June.  Dr. 
Fitch  obtained  from  his  samples  of  straw  above  one  hundred 
specimens  of  the  same  kind  of  Eurytoma,  and  all  of  them 
females.  Among  them  he  found  another  Chalcidian  insect,  a 
species  of  Pleromahis,  probably  a  parasite  of  the  Eurytoma, 
and  has  favored  me  with  a  description  of  it.  The  head  and 
thorax  are  of  a  dark  metallic  green  color;  the  abdomen  is 
slightly  depressed,  polished,  purplish  black  above,  bright  cop- 
per-colored beneath.  The  antennae  are  black,  except  the  basal 
joint,  which  is  of  a  brilliant  copper-color.  The  thighs  are  pale 
yellow;  the  shanks  and  feet  blackish,  the  hind  pair  with  a 
broad  pale  ring  around  the  bottom  of  the  shank  and  the  con- 
tiguous part  of  the  foot.  The  length  of  the  body  is  ten 
hundredths  of  an  inch,  being  somewhat  less  than  that  of  the 
Eurytoma.  From  my  samples  of  the  straw  I  have  obtained 
another  and  a  dili'erent  parasite,  belonging  to  the  same  family, 
but  to  the  genus  Torymus.     The  specimen  is  a  female,  and, 


HYMENOPTERA.  443 

like  others  of  the  same  genus,  it  is  provided  with  an  cxsertcd 
slender  piercer,  nearly  as  long  as  its  own  body.  The  latter  is 
about  as  long  as  that  of  the  Pteromalus  above  described,  and 
is  of  a  deep  black  color,  slightly  tinged  witli  green  on  the  face 
and  thorax,  both  of  which  are  rough  and  opaque,  while  the 
hind  body  is  smooth  and  polished.  The  fore  wings  have  an 
elongated  cloudy  spot  near  the  middle,  and  the  oblique  branch 
is  very  short.  The  thighs,  claws,  and  the  antennae  except  the 
basal  joint,  are  blackish,  the  other  parts  of  the  legs  and  the 
base  of  the  antennae  are  pale  yellow.  The  hindmost  thighs 
are  much  thicker  than  the  others,  and  are  notched  beneath  the 
end.  The  eyes  have  a  dull  reddish  tinge,  perhaps  not  their 
true  color  in  life.  Professor  Cabell  has  sent  to  me  some  speci- 
mens of  this  Tori/mus,  including  a  male,  which  differs  from  the 
female  in  having  all  the  joints  of  the  antenna?  black. 

The  ravages  of  the  joint-worm  in  the  wheat-fields  of  Vir- 
ginia are  said  to  have  been  first  observed  in  Albemarle  county, 
about  four  or  five  years  ago.  They  have  alarmingly  increased 
from  year  to  year,  and  have  extended  over  many  parts  of  the 
adjacent  counties,  becoming  more  aggravated  each  time  that 
they  are  renewed  in  the  same  place.  The  loss  occasioned 
thereby  often  amounts  to  one  third  of  the  average  crop,  and 
is  sometimes  much  greater;  and  during  the  present  season, 
"some  farmers  did  not  reap  as  much  as  they  sowed."  These 
statements  are  made  chiefly  on  the  authority  of  Professor  J. 
L.  Cabell,  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  who  has  given  some 
attention  to  the  natural  history  of  the  joint-worm,  and  has 
recently  communicated  to  me  the  result  of  his  interesting 
observations.  He  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  joint- 
worm  is  the  larva  of  a  Hymenopterous  and  not  of  a  Dipterous 
insect.  He  finds  that  the  parts  of  its  mouth  are  very  different 
from  those  of  the  dormant  larva  of  the  Hessian  fly  (the  latter 
extracted  from  its  flax-seed  case  before  it  had  undergone  any 
change  of  form),  and  that  the  mouth  of  the  former  agrees 
essentially  with  that  of  the  larvae  obtained  from  galls  of  the 
oak.  In  the  mouth  of  the  joint-worm  he  observed  that  "the 
mandibular  hooks  cross  each  other  on  the  middle  line,"  wliile 
in  the  Hessian  fly  larva  the  "two  hooks  are  directed  down- 


444  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

wards."  His  samples  of  diseased  wheat-straw  of  the  previous 
year  yielded  him,  in  the  spring,  numerous  specimens  of  the 
Eurytoma^  and  nothing  else.  A  few  specimens  of  the  same 
insect  were  developed  from  the  tumors  on  plants  of  the  present 
season,  thus  showing  that  "a  small  proportion  of  the  larvae 
undergo  their  transformations  during  the  summer."  Among 
his  specimens  he  obtained  a  very  few  Hymenopterous  insects, 
differing  from  the  Eurytoma,  and  probably  parasites.  In  sev- 
eral instances  Professor  Cabell  saw  a  small  semitransparent 
whitish  worm,  scantily  covered  with  hairs,  in  the  same  cell 
with  a  lifeless  joint-worm,  and  adhering  to  its  body.  In  other 
cases,  the  former  kind  of  worm  or  larva  "was  found  alone,  but 
it  was  then  of  a  larger  size,  and  there  were  almost  always 
some  more  or  less  unequivocal  signs  of  the  worm  having  fed 
on  the  joint-worm." 

Having  been  favored  by  Professor  Cabell  with  some  sam- 
ples of  wheat-straw,  containing  living  joint-worms,  I  have  been 
able  to  verify  his  observations  during  the  present  summer, 
while  this  sheet  is  passing  through  the  press.  At  my  request, 
Professor  Jeffries  Wyman,  of  Harvard  College,  an  accomplished 
anatomist,  and  a  skilful  microscopical  observer,  has  examined 
these  larva?,  and  also  some  of  the  parasitical  worms,  found  in 
the  straw,  and  has  made  for  me  several  magnified  sketches  of 
them.  Both  kinds  are  found  to  differ  essentially  from  the 
larvae  of  the  locust  and  of  the  willow  gall-flies,  with  living 
specimens  of  which  I  have  compared  them.  Their  bodies  are 
softer,  and  their  skins  more  delicate  and  tender;  and  the  form 
of  the  head  and  structure  of  the  mouth  are  entirely  unlike 
those  of  the  Cecidomyian  larvae.  The  true  joint-worm  varies 
from  one  tenth  to  nearly  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length. 
It  is  of  a  pale  yellowish  white  color,  with  an  internal  dusky 
streak,  and  is  destitute  of  hairs.  The  head  is  round,  and 
partially  retractile.  The  jaws  are  lateral  and  hooked;  they 
meet  at  the  points,  and  are  of  a  blackish  color,  and  apparently 
of  a  horny  texture ;  and  they  are  distinctly  to  be  seen  even 
with  a  pocket  microscope.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  these 
joint- worms  are  not  the  larvae  of  any  Dipterous  insect;  they 
are  doubtless  Hymenopterous  larvae,  and  probably,  from  their 


HYMENOPTERA.  445 

abundance,  those  of  the  foregoing  Eurytoma.  The  other  larvte, 
few  in  number  compared  with  the  joint-worms,  are  distin- 
guished therefrom  by  their  inferior  size,  and  whiter  color,  and 
by  being  sparingly  covered  with  short  hairs.  Their  heads  are 
round,  are  provided  with  blackish  hooked  jaws,  and  have  two 
little  tubercles  on  the  front.  I  judge  them  to  be  the  young  of 
one  of  the  parasites,  probably  of  the  ToryniMS,  described  on  a 
former  page. 

The  foregoing  account  might  be  thought  to  afford  conclu- 
sive evidence  that  the  Eurytoma  alone  was  the  author  of  the 
mischief  done  to  the  wheat  and  barley,  and  that  it  is  not  a 
parasitical  insect.  In  favor  of  this  conclusion,  we  have  the 
fact  that  hitherto  no  person  has  succeeded  in  obtaining  from 
the  diseased  wheat-straw  so  much  as  a  single  specimen  of 
Cecidomyia;  while  both  the  wheat  and  the  barley  straw  have 
yielded  to  several  observers,  in  repeated  instances,  numerous 
specimens  of  the  same  kind  of  Ei(ryto7na,  and  nothing  else, 
saving  an  extremely  small  number  of  lesser  parasites.  The 
determination  of  this  difficult  and  interesting  question  is  of 
much  importance  in  a  scientific  and  an  economical  point  of 
view.  The  great  amount  of  property  that  is  at  stake,  and  the 
serious  losses  already  sustained  by  the  ravages  of  the  joint- 
worm,  render  it  necessary  to  ascertain  the  true  history  of  the 
insect  before  proceeding  to  take  measures  for  the  protection  of 
our  crops.  We  are  to  consider,  in  destroying  the  Eim/toma, 
whether  we  shall  kill  an  enemy  or  a  friend.  If  it  be  a  para- 
site, as  the  almost  universal  opinion  of  entomologists  would 
lead  us  to  believe,  it  would  be  the  height  of  folly  to  attempt 
to  interfere  with  its  operations.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  can 
show  it  to  be  a  plant-eating  insect,  we  may  use  such  means 
as  are  in  our  power  towards  checking  its  career,  not  only  with 
perfect  safety,  but  with  eminent  advantage.  In  this  case,  in 
dealing  with  the  joint-worm,  we  need  not  be  restrained  by  the 
consideration  that  the  diseased  straw  contains  also  some  truly 
parasitical  larvae ;  for  these,  as  already  stated,  are  very  few  in 
number  compared  with  the  immense  swarms  of  the  Eurytoma 
that  are  annually  produced.  If  we  can  succeed  in  extermi- 
nating these  destroyers,  we  shall  have  no  occasion  for  the 
services  of  the  parasites. 


446  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Admitting  the  Eurytoma  to  be  the  sole  cause  of  the  mischief, 
the  following  suggestions  will  be  found  useful  in  arresting  its 
ravages.  As  the  disease  is  seated  mostly  near  the  base  of  the 
straw,  in  or  near  the  second  or  the  third  joint,  the  greater  part 
of  the  diseased  portions  will  be  left  in  the  stubble  when  the 
grain  is  reaped.  Most  of  the  insects  remain  unchanged  in  the 
stubble  till  the  following  year.  If,  then,  we  can  destroy  the 
maggots  in  the  stubble  before  they  have  acquired  wings  and 
made  their  escape,  we  shall,  in  great  measure,  restrain  their  fur- 
ther propagation  and  increase ;  for  it  is  in  the  winged  state 
alone  that  insects  propagate  their  kind.  It  has  been  found  in 
Massachusetts  that  ploughing  in  the  stubble  has  little  or  no 
effect  upon  the  insects,  which  continue  alive  and  uninjured 
under  the  slight  covering  of  earth,  and  easily  make  their  way  to 
the  surface  when  they  have  completed  their  transformations. 
The  only  practicable  method  of  destroying  the  insects  is  to  burn 
the  stubble  containing  them.  All  the  straw  and  refuse,  which 
is  unfit  for  fodder,  should  likewise  be  consumed,  because  it  will 
be  found  occasionally  to  contain  a  small  amount  of  diseased 
portions  of  the  straw.  Some  of  these  may  remain  among  the 
grain  itself,  being  too  heavy  to  be  separated  by  the  process  of 
winnowing.  These  will  have  to  be  picked  out  by  hand. 
Moreover,  as  some  few  of  the  insects  are  transformed  to  flies 
during  the  first  summer,  and  these  will  suffice  to  continue  the 
race,  it  becomes  important  that  all  the  means  above  recom- 
mended should  be  continued  during  several  successive  years; 
and  when  these  are  universally,  carefully,  and  thoroughly  put 
in  practice,  they  can  hardly  fail  to  exterminate  the  Eurytoma. 
A  free  use  of  manure  and  thorough  tillage,  by  promoting  a 
rapid  and  vigorous  growth  of  the  plant,  may  render  it  less 
liable  to  suffer  from  the  attacks  of  the  insect.  Large  fields, 
well  seeded,  will  probably  escape  better  than  those  that  are 
smaller  and  thinner  sown,  in  which  the  insects,  when  about  to 
lay  their  eggs,  can  penetrate  easily  and  to  a  greater  distance. 


DIPTERA.  447 


DIPTERA. 

GxATS  AND  Flies.  —  Maggots,  and  tiieiu  Transfokmatio.vs,  —  Gall-Gnats. 
Hessian  Fly.  Wheat-Fly.  —  Remakks  upon  and  Descriptions  of  some 
OTHEPv  Dipterous  Insects. —  Radisii-Fi,y. —  Two-winged  Gall-Flies,  and 
Fuuit-Flies.  —  Conclusion. 

Under  the  name  of  Diptera,  signifying  two-winged,  are 
included  all  the  insects  that  have  only  two  wings,  and  are 
provided  with  two  little  knobbed  threads  in  the  place  of  hind 
wings,  and  a  mouth  formed  for  sucking  or  lapping. 

Various  kinds  of  gnats  and  of  flies  are  therefore  the  insects 
belonging  to  this  order.  The  proboscis  or  sucker,  wherewith 
they  take  their  food,  is  placed  under  the  head,  and  sometimes 
can  be  drawn  up  and  concealed,  partly  or  wholly,  within  the 
cavity  of  the  mouth.  It  consists  of  a  long  gutter,  usually 
ending  with  two  fleshy  lips,  and  enclosing,  in  the  channel  on 
its  upper  side,  several  fine  bristles,  from  two  to  six  in  number, 
which  are  sometimes  as  sharp  as  needles,  and  are  then  capable 
of  inflicting  severe  punctures.  These  piercing  bristles  really 
take  the  place  of  the  jaws  of  biting  insects,  and  hence  the 
wounds  made  therewith,  by  gnats  and  mosquitos,  are  very 
properly  called  bites.  The  saliva  of  these  insects  flowing  into 
the  wounds,  renders  them  more  painful,  and  is  the  cause  of 
the  inflammation  and  itching  that  follow.  The  grooved  sheath 
of  the  proboscis  is  usually  very  large  and  fleshy  in  the  flies 
that  only  lap  or  sip  their  food.  Two  small,  jointed  feelers  are 
commonly  found  attached  to  the  base  of  the  proboscis.  Gnats 
and  flies  have  softer  bodies  than  most  other  winged  insects. 
The  head  is  large,  and  fastened  to  the  thorax  by  a  very  slender 
neck.  The  eyes,  especially  in  the  males,  are  large,  and  occupy 
the  whole  of  the  sides  of  the  head.  The  antenna?,  in  gnats 
and  mosquitos,  are  rather  long,  slender,  and  many-jointed;  in 
flies,  they  are  short,  consisting  of  only  two  or  three  thick 
joints,  the  last  of  which  often  bears  a  little  bristle  or  delicate 


448  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  \^GETATION. 

feather.  The  wings  are  fihny,  like  those  of  Hymenopterous 
insects,  but  usually  have  a  greater  number  of  veins  in  them. 
Just  behind  the  wing-joints  there  are  two  little,  convex  scales, 
which  open  and  shut  with  the  motion  of  the  wings;  they  are 
called  the  winglets.  The  t7<>vo  balancers  or  poisers  are  short 
threads,  knobbed  at  the  end,  and  placed  on  each  side  of  the 
hindmost  part  of  the  thorax,  immediately  behind  the  winglets. 
The  thorax  is  often  the  thickest  and  hardest  part  of  the  body ; 
to  it  the  hind  body  is  more  or  less  closely  united,  and  the  lat- 
ter, in  many  females,  ends  with  a  tapering,  retractile  tube, 
wherewith  the  eggs  are  deposited.  The  legs  are  six  in  num- 
ber, and  each  of  the  feet  is  provided  with  two  claws,  and  two 
or  three  little  cushions  or  skinny  palms,  by  the  help  whereof 
the  insects  can  walk  on  the  smoothest  surfaces,  and  on  the 
ceilings  of  rooms,  with  the  back  downwards,  as  easily  as  when 
upright;  for  the  palms  act  like  suckers,  and  thus  prevent  them 
from  falling. 

Mosquitos  and  gnats  are  active  both  by  day  and  night,  but 
flies  take  wing  only  during  the  day.  The  life  of  these  insects, 
even  from  the  time  when  they  are  first  hatched,  is  generally 
very  short,  seldom  lasting  more  than  a  few  weeks;  but  of 
some  kinds  several  broods  are  produced  in  the  course  of  a 
single  summer,  and  often  in  the  greatest  profusion.  In  certain 
countries  and  seasons  they  multiply  so  fast,  and  appear  in 
such  immense  swarms,  as  to  become  a  serious  annoyance 
both  to  man  and  beast. 

The  young  insects,  hatched  from  the  eggs  of  gnats  and  of 
flies,  are  fleshy  larvae,  usually  of  a  whitish  color,  and  without 
legs.  They  are  commonly  called  maggots,  and  sometimes  are 
mistaken  for  worms.  They  vary  a  good  deal  in  their  forms, 
structure,  habits,  and  transformations,  so  that  it  is  somewhat 
difficult  to  give  any  general  description  of  them.  Their 
breathing  holes  are  usually  situated  near  the  extremities  of  the 
body.  Aquatic  maggots  often  have  a  tubular  tail,  through 
which  they  breathe,  and  the  orifice  of  this  tube  is  sometimes 
surrounded  with  beautiful  feather-formed  appendages.  The 
larvae  or  maggots  of  the  gnats,  and  of  nearly  all  those  flies 
which  have  four  or  six  bristles  in  the  proboscis,  have  a  distinct 


DIPTERA.  449 

head  covered  with  a  horny  shell.  Larvae  of  tiiis  kind,  when 
fully  grown,  cast  off  their  !<kins  to  become  pupae  or  chrysalids. 
These  pupae  are  usually  of  a  brown  color,  and  somewhat 
resemble  the  chrysalids  of  certain  moths,  or  more  nearly  those 
of  Hynienopterous  insects;  for  their  short  and  imjjerfect  legs 
and  wings,  though  folded  on  the  breast,  are  not  immovably 
fastened  to  it.  They  commonly  have  several  small  thorns  on 
each  end  of  the  body,  and  a  row  of  smaller  prickles  across 
each  of  the  rings  of  the  back.  By  the  help  of  these  thorns 
and  prickles  they  work  their  way  out  of  the  places  wherein 
they  had  previously  lived,  just  before  they  burst  open  their 
pupa-skins  to  come  forth  in  the  perfected  or  winged  state. 
The  pupae  of  mosquitos  are  not  prickly,  but  they  possess  the 
power  of  swimming  or  tumbling  about  in  the  Vater,  by  the 
help  of  two  little  fins  on  their  tails.*  The  larvae  of  the  Dipte- 
rous insects  in  general  do  not  make  cocoons;  those  of  some 
gnats  {Mycetophilce),  which  live  in  tree  mushrooms,  or  boleti, 
not  only  cover  themselves  with  a  silken  web,  under  which  they 
live,  but  also  spin  cocoons,  wherein  they  undergo  their  trans- 
formations. Some  of  the  Cecidomyians  also  make  silken 
cocoons.  The  larvae  of  the  other  flies  are  not  so  variable  in 
their  forms  as  the  foregoing.  They  are  commonly  plump, 
whitish  maggots,  obtuse  behind,  and  tapering  before,  with  a 
small  and  soft  head,  that  can  be  drawn  within  the  fore  part  of 
the  body.  They  take  their  food  almost  entirely  by  suction,  for 
their  jaws  are  merely  two  little  hooks,  that  enable  them  to  fasten 
themselves  upon  the  substances  which  serve  for  their  nourish- 
ment. They  increase  rapidly  in  size,  and  when  they  are  fully 
grown,  they  change  their  forms,  without  casting  off  their  skins 
at  all,  merely  by  the  gradual  shortening  of  their  bodies,  which 
take  an  oblong  oval  shape,  and  turn  hard  and  brown  on  the 
outside.  The  hardened  skin  of  the  larva  thus  becomes  a  shell 
or  kind  of  cocoon,  within  which  the  insect  is  afterwards  changed 
to  a  pupa,  having  its  imperfect  limbs  folded  on  its  breast,  and 
from  which,  in  due  time,  it  comes  forth  in  the  form  of  a  fly, 
by  forcing  off  one  end  of  the  shell.f 


•  See  pages  4  and  5.  t  See  page  5. 

57 


450  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  far-famed  Hessian  fly  and  the  wheat-fly  of  Europe,  and 
of  this  country,  are  small  gnats  or  midges,  and  belong  to  the 
family  called  Cecidomyiad.e,  or  gall-gnats.  The  insects  of 
this  family  are  very  numerous,  and  most  of  them,  in  the  mag- 
got state,  live  in  galls  or  unnatural  enlargements  of  the  stems, 
leaves,  and  buds  of  plants,  caused  by  the  punctures  of  the 
winged  insects  in  laying  their  eggs,  or  by  the  irritation  of  the 
maggots  hatched  therefrom.  The  Hessian  fly,  wheat-fly,  and 
some  others,  difler  from  the  majority  in  not  producing  such 
alterations  in  plants.  The  proboscis  of  these  insects  is  very 
short,  and  does  not  contain  the  piercing  bristles  found  in  the 
long  proboscis  of  the  biting  gnats  and  mosquitos.  Their  an- 
tennae are  long,  composed  of  many  little,  bead-like  joints,  which 
are  more  distant  in  the  males  than  in  the  other  sex;  and  each 
joint  is  surrounded  with  short  hairs.  Their  eyes  are  kidney- 
shaped.  Their  legs  are  rather  long  and  very  slender.  Their 
wings  have  only  two,  three,  or  four  veins  in  them,  and  are 
fringed  with  little  hairs  around  the  edges;  when  not  in  use, 
they  are  generally  carried  flat  on  the  back.  The  hind  body  of 
the  females  often  ends  with  a  retractile,  conical  tube,  where- 
with they  deposit  their  eggs.  Their  young  are  little,  footless 
maggots,  tapering  at  each  end,  and  generally  of  a  deep  yellow 
or  orange  color.  They  live  on  the  juices  of  plants,  and  un- 
dergo their  transformations  either  in  these  plants,  or  in  the 
ground. 

The  transformations  of  these  insects  offer  some  peculiarities 
that  do  not  seem  to  have  been  described  by  European  natu- 
ralists, and  probably  are  not  well  understood  by  them.  Three 
modifications  in  the  process  have  been  observed  in  this  coun- 
try, and  examples  of  these  are  afforded  by  Cecidoniyia  Salicis, 
destructor,  and  Tritici.  In  all  of  them  the  pupa  has  the  limbs 
and  wings  free  or  unconfined,  and  becomes  active  shortly 
before  its  final  change,  being  enabled  to  crawl  out  of  the  place 
where  it  had  hitherto  lodged,  when  about  to  take  the  winged 
form.  It  appears  also  that  these  Cecidomyians  retain  the 
larva-skin  when  the  insect  is  changed  to  a  pupa;  this  skin 
undergoing  only  certain  alterations  in  the  course  of  the  pro- 
cess, without  being  thrown  off".     The  abdominal  part  of  the 


DIPTERA.  451 

larva-skin  remains  with  little  or  no  change;  the  fore  part  of 
the  body  becomes  swollen,  shining,  and  apparently  gelatinous, 
and  allows  the  budding  limbs  and  wings  of  the  pupa  to  push 
outwards,  each  carrying  with  it  an  enveloping  jiortion  of  the 
skin,  which  by  extension  or  growth,  or  by  both,  is  modified  so 
as  to  suit  the  changed  condition  of  the  insect.  This  peculi- 
arity was  first  made  known  to  me  by  a  letter  from  Dr.  Asa 
Fitch,  of  Salem,  New  York,  wlio  has  paid  much  attention  to 
the  natural  history  of  the  Cecidomyians,  and  has  published 
several  elaborate  essays  upon  them  in  "  The  American  Quar- 
terly Journal  of  Agriculture  and  Science,"  and  in  "  The  Tran- 
sactions of  the  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society."  In 
these  essays,  however,  the  point  under  consideration  is  not  so 
distinctly  stated  and  described  as  in  his  letter.  1  am  also  in- 
debted to  him  for  galls,  containing  larvae  of  the  willow  gall-fly. 
These,  with  specimens  of  the  Hessian  fly  in  the  flax-seed  state, 
received  from  him  and  from  other  correspondents,  have  enabled 
me  to  verify  the  result  of  his  observations. 

The  willow  gall-gnat,  or  gall-fly,  is  one  of  the  largest  of  our 
species.  It  has  been  described  and  figured  by  Dr.  Fitch,  under 
the  name  of  Cecidomyia  Salicis*  On  account  of  the  size  of 
the  larva  and  the  ease  with  which  it  may  be  raised,  it  is  an 
excellent  object  for  the  observation  of  the  transformation  that 
is  peculiar  to  it  and  to  other  species  of  the  genus.  It  inhabits 
a  small  woody  gall,  growing  at  the  ends  of  the  slender  twigs 
of  the  American  basket-willow  (Salix  rigida),  and  other  dwarf 
willows.  This  kind  of  gall  is  of  an  oval  shape,  about  three 
quarters  of  an  inch  long,  by  three  eighths  of  an  inch  thick, 
and  is  terminated  by  a  brittle  conical  beak,  which  seems  to  me 
to  consist  of  the  unexpanded  and  dry  terminal  bud  of  the  twig. 
Upon  being  cut  open  in  the  winter  or  spring,  a  longitudinal 
channel  will  be  found  in  the  middle,  extending  from  the  apex 
of  the  beak  nearly  to  the  base  of  the  gall,  and  lined  in  the 
upper  part  with  a  delicate  silken  web.  Within  this  hollow  is 
lodged  a  single  orange-colored  maggot,  about  one  fifth  of  an 
inch  long.     In  the  spring  this  maggot  takes  the  pupa  form, 


*  "  American  Quarterly  Journal  of  Agriculture  and  Science,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  203. 


452  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

the  approaching  change  being  marked  by  an  alteration  of  the 
color  of  the  anterior  segments,  which  from  orange  become  red, 
shining,  and  swollen,  as  if  distended  with  blood.  Within  a 
few  hours  after  this  change  of  color,  rudimentary  legs,  wings, 
and  antennoG,  begin,  as  it  were,  to  bud  and  put  forth,  and 
rapidly  grow  to  their  full  pupal  dimensions;  and  thus  the 
transformation  to  the  pupa  is  effected  without  any  moulting 
of  the  skin  of  the  larva.  In  a  few  days,  the  pupa  works  its 
way  upwards,  bursts  through  the  silken  film,  and  rests  half 
way  out  of  the  orifice  of  the  beaked  summit  of  the  gall,  where 
it  casts  off  and  leaves  its  pupa-skin,  and  appears  in  its  winged 
form.  This  little  gnat  or  fly  is  of  a  deep  black  color  above, 
paler  and  downy  beneath,  with  livid  legs  and  smoky  wings. 
The  length  of  its  body  is  a  little  over  one  fifth  of  an  inch,  and 
its  wings  expand  rather  more  than  three  tenths  of  an  inch. 

The  Cecidomyia  Robinics,  of  Professor  Haldeman,*  is  a  much 
smaller  and  more  common  species,  inhabiting  the  locust-tree. 
During  the  month  of  August,  some  of  the  leaves  of  this  tree 
will  be  found  to  have  one  edge  thickened  in  substance  and 
rolled  over,  so  as  to  form  an  oblong  cavity,  cylindrical  in  the 
middle,  and  tapering  at  each  end.  This  is  the  work  of  the 
larvae  or  young  Cecidomyians,  two  or  three  of  which  will 
sometimes  be  found  in  each  cavity,  where  also  they  complete 
their  transformations.  The  larva  is  a  maggot  of  a  whitish 
color,  faintly  tinged  with  orange,  particularly  towards  the  head. 
The  pupa  or  chrysalis  is  not  contained  within  a  cocoon.  The 
fly  measures  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length.  It  is  orange 
colored,  with  dusky  antennae  and  wings,  three  dusky  lines  on 
the  thorax,  and  two  dusky  spots  on  the  sides  of  the  body.  An 
apparent  interruption  in  one  of  the  veins  of  the  wings,  noticed 
by  Professor  Haldeman,  is  not  peculiar  to  this  insect,  but  may 
be  seen,  more  or  less  distinctly,  in  our  other  species  of  Ceci- 
domyia. 

The  Hessian  fly  was  scientifically  described  by  Mr.  Say,  in 
1817,  under  the  name  of  Cecidomyia  destructor.f     It  obtained 

*  "American  Journal  of  Agriculture  and  Science,"  Vol.  VL,  p.  193. 
t  "  Journal  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  of  Philadelphia."     Vol.  I., 
p.  45. 


DIPTERA.  453 

its  common  name  from  a  supposition  that  it  was  brought  to 
this  country,  in  some  straw,  by  the  Hessian  troops  under  the 
command  of  Sir  William  Howe  in  the  war  of  tlie  Revolution.* 
This  supposition,  however,  has  been  thought  to  be  erroneous, 
because  the  early  enquiries  made  to  discover  the  Hessian  fly 
in  Germany  were  unsuccessful;  and,  in  consequence  thereof, 
Sir  Joseph  Banks,  in  his  report  to  the  British  Government,  in 
1789,  stated  that  "no  such  insect  could  be  found  to  exist  in 
Germany  or  any  other  part  of  Europe."  f  It  appears,  how- 
ever, that  the  same  insect,  or  one  exactly  like  it  in  habits,  had 
been  long  known  in  the  vicinity  of  Geneva;  an  account  of  it 
may  be  found  in  Duhamel's  "  Practical  Treatise  of  Husband- 
ry," J  and  in  a  communication  f  made  to  the  Duke  of  Dorset, 
in  1788,  by  the  Royal  Society  of  Agriculture  of  France.  In 
the  year  1833  the  wheat  in  Austria  and  in  Hungary  was  con- 
siderably injured  by  an  insect  of  the  same  kind,  supposed  to 
be  the  Hessian  fly  by  the  Baron  K6llar.§  Moreover,  Mr.  E. 
C.  Herrick,  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  has  published  an 
account  ||  of  the  discovery  of  the  true  Hessian  fly,  by  Mr. 
James  D.  Dana,  in  Minorca,  near  Toulon  in  France,  and  in 
the  vicinity  of  Naples,  in  the  year  1834.  Nothing  has  yet 
been  found  relative  to  the  existence  of  the  Hessian  fly  in 
America  before  the  Revolution.  It  was  first  observed  in  the 
year  1776,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sir  William  Howe's  debark- 
ation on  Staten  Island,  and  at  Flat  Bush,  on  the  west  end  of 
Long  Island.  Having  multiplied  in  these  places,  the  insects 
gradually  spread  over  the  southern  parts  of  New  York  and 
Connecticut,  and  continued  to  proceed  inland  at  the  rate  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  a  year.  They  reached  Saratoga,  two 
hundred  miles  from  their  original  station,  in  1789.  Dr.  Chap- 
man says,  that  they  were  found  west  of  the  Alleghany  moun- 

*  Dobson's  "Encyclopaedia."     Vol.  VIII.,  p.  491. 

t  "Encyclopaedia  Britannica,"  and  Dobson's  " Encyclopccdia."  Vol.  VIIL, 
article  Hessian  Fly. 

+  P.  90.  4to.  Lend.  1759.  See  also  his  "  Elements  of  Agriculture,"  VoL 
I.,  p.  269.     8vo.     Lond.   1G64. 

§  "Treatise,"  pp.  118,  119. 

II  Silliuiau's  "American  Journal  of  Science,"  Vol.  XLL,  p.  153. 


454  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

tains  in  1797;  from  their  progress  through  the  country,  having 
apparently  advanced  about  thirty  miles  every  summer.  Wheat, 
rye,  barley,  and  even  timothy  grass,  were  attacked  by  them ; 
and  so  great  were  their  ravages  in  the  larva  state,  that  the 
cultivation  of  wheat  was  abandoned  in  many  places  where 
they  had  established  themselves.*  In  a  communication  by 
Mr.  J.  W.  .Jeffreys,  published  in  the  sixth  volume  of  Buel's 
"  Cultivator,"  it  is  stated,  that  soon  after  the  battle  of  Guilford, 
in  North  Carolina,  the  wheat  crops  were  destroyed  by  the 
Hessian  fly  in  Orange  county,  through  which  the  British 
army,  composed  in  part  of  Hessian  soldiers,  had  previously 
passed.  Although  it  is  possible  that,  in  this  instance,  the 
chinch  bug  may  have  been  mistaken  for  the  Hessian  fly,  the 
remark  shows  how  prevalent  was  the  belief  respecting  the 
introduction  of  the  latter.  The  foregoing  statements,  taken 
in  connexion  with  the  habits  of  the  Hessian  fly,  induce  me  to 
think  that  the  common  opinion  relative  to  its  origin  is  deserv- 
ing of  some  credit. 

The  head,  antennae,  and  thorax  of  this  fly  are  black.  The 
hind  body  is  tawny,  more  or  less  widely  marked  with  black  on 
each  ring,  and  clothed  wnth  fine  grayish  hairs.  The  egg-tube 
of  the  female  is  rose-colored.  The  M'ings  are  blackish,  except 
at  the  base,  where  they  are  tawny  and  very  narrow;  they  are 
fringed  with  short  hairs,  and  are  rounded  at  the  tip.  The  legs 
are  pale  red  or  brownish,  and  the  feet  are  black.  The  body 
measures  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  the  wings 
expand  one  quarter  of  an  inch,  or  more.  After  death,  the  hind 
body  contracts  and  becomes  almost  entirely  black.  The  Hes- 
sian fly  is  a  true  Cecidomyia,  differing  from  Lasioptera  in  the 
shortness  of  the  first  joint  of  its  feet,  and  in  the  greater  length 
of  its  antennae,  the  bead-like  swellings  whereof  are  also  more 
distant  from  each  other,  especially  in  the  males.  According 
to  Mr.  Herrick,  the  number  of  the  joints  of  the  antennae  varies 
"from  fourteen  to  seventeen,  besides  the  basal  joint,  which 
appears  double."     As  in  other  species  of  Cecidomi/ia,  the  form 


*  "  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,"  and  Dobson's  "  Encyclopaedia,"  Vol.  VIII., 
article  Hessian  Fly. 


DIPTERA.  455 

of  the  joints  differs  according  to  the  sex;  those  of  the  male 
being  globular,  and  those  of  the  female,  except  at  base,  oblong 
oval.  In  both  they  are  surrounded  with  whorls  of  short  hairs. 
The  difference  in  the  antennae  of  the  sexes  has  been  pretty 
well  represented  by  Mr.  Lesueur,  in  the  plate  designed  to 
accompany  Mr.  Say's  description  of  the  insect. 

The  following  brief  history  of  the  habits  and  transforma- 
tions  of  the  Hessian  fly  will  be  found  to  agree  essentially  with 
the  excellent  observations  on  this  insect,  written  in  the  year 
1797,  by  Dr.  Isaac  Chapman,  and  published  in  the  fifth  volume 
of  the  "Memoirs  of  the  Philadelphia  Society  for  Promoting 
Agriculture,"  and  with  the  more  fall  and  equally  valuable 
history  of  the  insect,  by  Jonathan  N.  Havens,  Esq.,  contained 
in  the  first  volume  of  the  "  Transactions  of  the  Society  for 
the  Promotion  of  Agriculture,  &c.,  in  New  York."  Mr.  Her- 
rick  has  kindly  permitted  me  to  make  free  use  of  his  valuable 
account  of  this  insect,  contained  in  the  forty-first  volume  of 
"  The  American  Journal  of  Science,"  and  of  other  information 
communicated  by  him  to  me  in  various  letters.  He  has  spent 
some  time  in  carefully  observing  the  habits  of  the  fly,  during 
many  years  in  succession,  after  having  fitted  himself  for  the 
task  by  the  study  of  the  natural  history  of  insects  in  general. 
His  statements  therefore  may  be  relied  upon,  as  in  the  main 
correct.  Moreover,  they  are  corroborated  by  the  observations 
of  many  other  persons,  published  in  various  works,  which  have 
been  consulted  in  the  course  of  my  investigations. 

Of  this  insect,  two  broods  or  generations  are  brought  to 
matiirity  in  the  course  of  a  year,  and  the  flies  appear  in  the 
spring  and  autumn,  but  rather  earher  in  the  Southern  and 
Middle  States  than  in  New  England.  The  transformations 
of  some  in  each  brood  appear  to  be  retarded  beyond  the  usual 
time,  as  is  found  to  be  the  case  with  many  other  insects;  so 
that  the  life  of  these  individuals,  from  the  egg  to  the  winged 
state,  extends  to  a  year  or  more  in  length,  whereby  the  contin- 
uation of  the  species  in  after  years  is  made  more  sure.  It  has 
frequently  been  asserted  that  the  flies  lay  their  eggs  on  the 
grain  in  the  ear;  but  whether  this  be  true  or  not,  it  is  certain 
that  they  do  lay  their  eggs  on  the  young  plants,  and  long 


45S  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

before  the  grain  is  ripe;  for  many  persons  have  witnessed  and 
testified  to  this  faet.  In  the  New  England  States,  winter 
wheat,  as  it  is  called,  is  usually  sown  about  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember. Towards  the  end  of  this  month,  and  in  October, 
when  the  grain  has  sprouted,  and  begins  to  show  a  leaf  or 
two,  the  flies  appear  in  the  fields,  and,  having  paired,  begin  to 
lay  their  eggs,  in  which  business  they  are  occupied  for  several 
weeks.  The  following  interesting  account  of  the  manner  in 
which  this  is  done  was  written  by  Mr.  Edward  Tilghman,  of 
Queen  Ann  county,  Maryland,  and  was  published  in  the  eighth 
volume  of  "  The  Cultivator,"  in  May,  1841.  "  By  the  second 
week  of  October,  the  first  sown  wheat  being  well  up,  and 
having  generally  put  forth  its  second  and  third  blades,  I  re- 
sorted to  my  field  in  a  fine  warm  forenoon,  to  endeavor  to 
satisfy  myself,  by  ocular  demonstration,  whether  the  fly  did 
deposit  the  egg  on  the  blades  of  the  growing  plant.  Selecting 
a  favorable  spot  to  make  my  observation,  I  placed  myself  in  a 
reclining  position  in  a  furrow,  and  had  been  on  the  watch  but 
a  minute  or  two,  before  I  discovered  a  number  of  small  black 
flies  alighting  and  sitting  on  the  wheat  plants  around  me,  and 
presently  one  settled  on  the  ridged  surface  of  a  blade  of  a 
plant  completely  within  my  reach  and  distinct  observation. 
She  immediately  began  depositing  her  eggs  in  the  longitudinal 
cavity  between  the  little  ridges  of  the  blade.  I  could  distinctly 
see  the  eggs  ejected  from  a  kind  of  tube  or  sting.  After  she 
had  deposited  eight  or  ten  eggs,  I  easily  caught  her  upon  the 
blade,  and  wrapped  her  up  in  a  piece  of  paper.  I  then  pro- 
ceeded to  take  up  the  plant,  with  as  much  as  I  conveniently 
could  of  the  circumjacent  earth,  and  wrapped  it  all  securely 
in  a  piece  of  paper.  After  that  I  continued  my  observations 
on  the  flies,  caught  several  similarly  occupied,  and  could  see 
the  eggs  uniformly  placed  in  the  longitudinal  cavities  of  the 
blades  of  the  wheat;  their  appearance  being  that  of  minute 
reddish  specks.  My  own  mind  being  thus  completely  and 
fully  satisfied  as  to  the  mode  in  which  the  egg  was  deposited, 
I  proceeded  directly  to  my  dwelling,  and  put  the  plant  with 
the  eggs  upon  it  in  a  large  glass  tumbler,  adding  a  little  water 
to  the  earth,  and  secured  the  vessel  by  covering  it  with  paper. 


DIPTERA.  457 

SO  that  no  insect  could  get  access  to  the  interior.     The  paper 
was  sufficiently  perforated  with  pin  holes  for  the  admission  of 
air.     The  tumbler  with  its  contents  was  daily  watched  by 
myself  to  discover  the  hatching  of  the  eggs.      About  the  mid- 
dle of  the  fifteenth  day  from  the  deposit  of  the  eggs,  I  was  so 
fortunate  as  to  discover  a  very  small  maggot  or  worm,  of  a 
reddish  cast,  making  its  way  with  considerable  activity  down 
the  blade,  and  saw  it  till  it  disai)peared  between  the  blade  and 
stem  of  the  plant.     This,  I  have  no  doubt,  was  the  produce  of 
one  of  the  eggs,  and  would,  I  presume,  have  hatched  much 
sooner,  had  the  plant  remained  in  the  field.     It  was  my  inten- 
tion to  have  carried   on  the   experiment,  by  endeavoring  to 
hatch  out  the  insect  from  the  flax-seed  state  into  the  perfect 
fly  again ;  but  being  called  from  home,  the  plant  was  suffered 
to  perish.     The  fly  that  I  caught  on  the  blade  of  the  wheat, 
as  above  stated,  I  enclosed  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  John  S.  Skinner, 
the  editor  of  '  The  American  Farmer,'  of  Baltimore,  who  pro- 
nounced it  to  be  a  genuine  Hessian  fly,  and  identical  in  ap- 
pearance with  others  recently  received  from  Virginia."     Dr. 
Chapman  agrees  with  this  writer  in  saying,  that  the  Hessian 
fly  lays  her  eggs  in  the  small  creases  of  the  young  leaves  of 
the  wheat.     Mr.  Havens  states,  that  the  fly  lays  her  eggs  on 
the  leaves.     In  the  fortieth  number  of  "  The  Connecticut  Far- 
mer's Gazette,"   Mr.  Herrick  says,  "I  have  repeatedly,  both 
in  autumn  and  in  spring,  seen  the  Hessian  fly  in  the  act  of 
depositing  eggs  on  wheat,  and  have  always  found,  that  she 
selects  for  this  purpose  the  leaves  of  the  young  plant.     The 
eggs  are  laid  in  various  numbers  on  the  upper  surface  of  the 
strap-shaped  portion  (or  blade)  of  the  leaf."     His  remarks  in 
Professor  Silliman's  Journal  are  to  the  same  effect.     Other 
authorities  on  this  point  might  be  mentioned;  but  the  fore- 
going are  sufficient,  in  my  opinion,  to  establish  the  fact,  that 
the  Hessian  fly  lays  her  eggs  on  the  leaves  of  wheat  soon  after 
the  plants  are  up.     *'  The  number  on  a  single  leaf,"  says  Mr. 
Herrick,  "is   often   twenty    or   thirty,    and    sometimes    much 
greater.     In  these  cases  many  of  the  larvae  must  perish.     The 
ecra  is  about  a  fiftieth  of  an  inch  long,  and  four  thousandths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  cylindrical,  translucent,  and  of  a  pale 
58 


458  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

red  color."  Mr.  Tilghman  was  correct  in  supposing  that  the 
eggs  would  hatch  in  less  than  fifteen  days,  under  favorable 
circumstances ;  for,  if  the  weather  be  warm,  they  commonly 
hatch  in  four  days  after  they  are  laid. 

The  maggots,  when  they  first  come  out  of  the  shells,  are  of 
a  pale  red  color.  Forthwith  they  crawl  down  the  leaf,  and 
work  their  way  between  it  and  the  main  stalk,  passing  down- 
wards till  they  come  to  a  joint,  just  above  which  they  remain, 
a  little  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  with  the  head  towards 
the  root  of  the  plant.  Having  thus  fixed  themselves  upon  the 
stalk,  they  become  stationary,  and  never  move  from  the  place 
till  their  transformations  are  completed.  They  do  not  eat  the 
stalk,  neither  do  they  penetrate  Avithin  it,  as  some  persons 
have  supposed,  but  they  lie  lengthwise  upon  its  surface,  cov- 
ered by  the  lower  part  of  the  leaves,  and  are  nourished  wholly 
by  the  sap,  which  they  appear  to  take  by  suction.  They  soon 
lose  their  reddish  color,  turn  pale,  and  will  be  found  to  be 
clouded  with  whitish  spots;  and  through  their  transparent 
skins  a  greenish  stripe  may  be  seen  in  the  middle  of  their 
bodies.  As  they  increase  in  size,  and  grow  plump  and  firm, 
they  become  imbedded  in  the  side  of  the  stem,  by  the  pressure 
of  their  bodies  upon  the  grov^^ing  plant.  One  maggot  thus 
placed  seldom  destroys  the  plant;  but,  when  two  or  three  are 
fixed  in  this  manner  around  the  stem,  they  weaken  and  im- 
poverish the  plant,  and  cause  it  to  fall  down,  or  to  wither  and 
die.  They  usually  come  to  their  full  size  in  five  or  six  weeks, 
and  then  measure  about  three  twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length. 
Their  skin  now  gradually  hardens,  becomes  brownish,  and 
soon  changes  to  a  bright  chestnut  color.  This  change  usually 
happens  about  the  first  of  December. 

The  insect,  in  this  form,  has  been  commonly  likened  to  a 
flax-seed.  Hence  "  many  observers  speak  of  this  as  the  flax- 
seed state."  Others  regard  it  as  the  beginning  of  the  pupa 
state,  wherein  the  condition  of  the  insect  is  analogous  to  the 
immature  pupa  {boule  allong'ee)  of  common  flies.  Such  in- 
deed has  been  my  own  impression  concerning  it ;  and  even  so 
it  seems  to  have  been  regarded  by  Mr.  Herrick,  although  he 
was  well  aware  of  the  actual  form  of  the  insect  included 


DIPTERA.  459 

within  this  "leathery"  outer  skin  of  the  larva,  and  of  all  its 
subsequent  changes.  While  this  change  of  the  color  and 
texture  of  the  skin  is  going  on,  the  body  of  the  insect,  as  re- 
marked by  Mr.  Herrick,  "gradually  cleaves  from  the  dried  skin, 
and,  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks,  is  wholly  detached." 
In  a  letter,  dated  February  21, 1843,  he  alludes  more  explicitly 
to  the  condition  of  the  insect,  in  these  words.  "  In  two  or 
three  weeks  after  this  change  of  color,  the  animal  within  be- 
comes entirely  detached  from  the  old  larva-skin,  and  lies  a 
motionless  grub.^''  Accordingly,  when  this  dried  skin  or  flax- 
seed case  is  opened,  the  insect  will  be  found  loose  within  it, 
and  still  retaining  the  maggot  form,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Herrick, 
Mr.  Worth,*  and  Professor  Cabell.f  KoUar  alludes  to  the 
unchanged  condition  of  the  insect  within  this  case,  in  the 
European  specimens  which  he  had  examined.  :j:  Mr.  West- 
wood  makes  the  following  remarks  upon  some  from  Vienna 
that  were  in  his  possession.  "  The  insects  are  enclosed  in  a 
leathery  case,  and  on  opening  them  I  discovered  the  larvas 
shrivelled  up  and  dead."  §  Referring  to  Mr.  Say's  account  of 
the  Hessian  fly,  and  its  flax-seed  case,  Mr.  Westwood  says, 
"it  is  not  described  in  what  manner  this  case  is  formed."  That 
it  really  consists  of  the  loosened  outer  skin  of  the  maggot  is 
evident  from  its  shape  and  structure.  It  has  nearly  the  same 
form  and  size,  is  convex  on  both  sides,  and  retains  traces  of 
the  former  ses^ments  in  the  transverse  lines  wherewith  it  is 
marked.  This  flax-seed  shell  has  been  correctly  called  Vipupa- 
riuni  or  pupa-case,  because  the  pupa  is  subsequently  matured 
within  it.  Dr.  Chapman  repeatedly  alludes  to  the  pupa,  or 
chrysalis  as  he  calls  it,  and  to  "the  outward  coat"  of  the  larva 
"becoming  a  hard   shell  or  covering  for  the   chrysalis;"  by 


*  Mr.  James  Worth,  writing  on  this  insect  in  1820,  remarked  that  "as  soon 
as  it  changes  to  the  flax-seed  color,  by  rolling  it  lightly  with  the  finger,  the  tegu- 
ment can  be  taken  ofT;  the  worm  will  then  appear  with  a  greenish  stripe  through 
it,  which  is  evidently  the  substance  extracted  from  the  plant."  ("American 
Farmer,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  180.) 

t  See  page  443. 

X  Kollar's  "Treatise,"  page  121. 

§  Note  in  Kollar's  "  Treatise,"  p.  121.  Sec  also  "Westwood's  "  Modern  Clas- 
sification of  Insects,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  520. 


4€K>  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

which  we  perceive  that  he  was  acquainted  with  the  origin  and 
office  of  the  one  and  the  condition  of  the  other.  But  as  the 
true  figure  of  the  included  insect  is  concealed,  and  cannot  be 
determined  without  opening  the  puparium,  "it  is  customary," 
as  stated  by  Messrs.  Kirby  and  Spence,*  "in  speaking  of  pupae 
of  this  description,  to  refer  solely  to  the  exterior  covering." 
Agreeably  to  this  common  usage,  sanctioned  by  the  best  ento- 
mologists of  our  time,  the  flax-seed  case,  or  puparium,  has 
been  commonly  denominated  the  pupa,  even  by  such  writers 
as  Mr.  Say,  to  whom  the  real  nature  of  its  contents  must 
have  been  well  known. 

In  the  letter  before  mentioned,  Mr.  Herrick  thus  continued 
his  account  of  the  transformations  of  the  insect.  "  The  pro- 
cess of  growth  goes  on,  and,  by  and  by,  on  opening  the  leathery 
maggot-skin,  now  a  puparium,  you  find  the  pupa  so  far  ad- 
vanced that  some  of  the  members  of  the  future  fly  are  discern- 
ible through  the  scarf  which  envelopes  and  fetters  it  on  all 
sides."  In  his  observations  communicated  to  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Patents  in  1844,f  he  referred  to  the  same  process  in 
the  following  words.  "Within  this  shell  (the  flax-seed  case) 
the  pupa  gradually  advances  towards  the  winged  state;  it 
contracts  in  length  but  not  in  breadth;  and  its  skin  appears 
covered  with  minute  elevations.  Just  before  evolution  (of  the 
fly),  we  find  the  pupa  invested  in  a  delicate  membrane  or 
scarf,  which  not  long  previous  was  its  outer  skin,  through 
which  many  parts  of  the  future  fly  may  be  distinctly  seen." 
From  the  foregoing  passages,  it  appears  that  the  transition 
of  the  insect,  within  the  flax-seed  case,  from  the  form  of  a 
larva  or  maggot  to  that  of  a  mature  pupa,  takes  place  only 
a  short  time  before  its  final  transformation  to  a  fly,  that  is, 
towards  the  end  of  April  or  beginning  of  May ;  and  that  the 
scarf  or  proper  skin  of  this  pupa  is  the  same  as  that  wherein 
the  body  of  the  insect  had  been  previously  enveloped.  In  this 
respect,  the  Hessian  fly  agrees  in  its  transformations  with  the 
willow  gall-fly;  and  doubtless  the  transition  in  question  is 
effected  in  the  same  way  as  in  that  insect.     But  the  larva  of 

*  "Introduction  to  Entomology,"  Vol.  III.,  p.  258.  f  Report,  p.  163. 


DIPTERA.  461 

the  Hessian  fly  does  not  spin  a  silken  web  or  cocoon  like  that 
of  the  willow  gall-fly  and  some  other  Cecidomyians;  and  it 
differs  from  these  insects  also  in  being  finally  invested  with 
two  skins,  the  outer  one,  when  detached,  serving  instead  of  a 
cocoon  for  the  included  insect;  while  the  inner  one,  of  a  much 
thinner  and  more  delicate  texture,  becomes  the  true  skin  of  the 
matured  pupa. 

Towards  the  end  of  April  and  in  the  fore  part  of  May,  or 
as  soon  as  the  weather  becomes  warm  enough  in  the  spring, 
the  insects  are  transformed  to  flies.  They  make  their  escape 
from  their  winter  quarters  by  breaking  through  one  end  of 
their  shells  and  the  remains  of  the  leaves  around  them.  In 
the  "  Observations  on  the  Hessian  Fly,"  written  by  Jonathan 
N.  Havens,  Esq.,  it  is  stated,  that  "whenever  the  fly  has  been 
hatched  in  the  house,  it  always  comes  forth  from  its  brown 
case  wrapt  in  a  thin  white  skin,  which  it  soon  breaks,  and  is 
then  at  liberty;"  and  Mr.  Havens  supposes,  that  the  same 
thing  occurs  when  the  transformation  takes  place  abroad.  Mr. 
Herrick  states,  that  this  skin  or  "scarf,"  as  he  calls  it,  "splits 
on  the  thorax  or  back,"  and  the  fly  is  disengaged  from  it  by 
working  through  the  rent.  This  process,  and  the  appearance 
of  the  insect  through  the  pupa-skin,  is  fully  described  in  his 
letter  of  the  21st  of  February,  1843,  from  which  the  following 
extract  is  taken.  It  is  from  a  memorandum  made  May  12, 
1837.  "  On  looking  over  culms  of  wheat,  which  ripened  last 
July,  I  found  a  puparium  of  the  Hessian  fly;  began  to  cut  it 
open ;  found  within  a  fly  nearly  matured.  Opened  only  the 
anterior  part  of  the  puparium;  but  the  animal  soon  squirmed 
itself  out,  enveloped  in  a  thin  scarf.  The  puparium  was  left 
entirely  clean. —  The  animal  worked  its  abdomen  back  and 
forth,  and,  in  about  twenty  minutes,  was  detached  from  the 
scarf."  In  one  instance,  Mr.  Herrick  found  the  empty  scarf- 
skin  "attached  to  one  end  of  the  puparium."  Ordinarily, 
however,  the  insect  seems  to  crawl  entirely  out  of  the  pupa- 
rium or  flax-seed  shell,  before  disengaging  itself  from  the  pupa 
skin,  as  stated  above  by  Mr.  Havens.  Upon  examining  a 
puparium  after  the  escape  of  the  insect,  I  could  not  discover 
any  vestige  of  larva  or  pupa  skin  within  it.  It  was  left  en- 
tirely empty. 


462  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Very  soon  after  the  flies  come  forth  in  the  spring,  they  are 
prepared  to  lay  their  eggs  on  the  leaves  of  the  wheat  sown  in 
the  autumn  before,  and  also  on  the  spring-sown  wheat,  that 
begins,  at  this  time,  to  appear  above  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
They  continue  to  come  forth  and  lay  their  eggs  for  the  space 
of  three  weeks,  after  which  they  entirely  disappear  from  the 
fields.  The  maggots,  hatched  from  these  eggs,  pass  along  the 
stems  of  the  wheat,  nearly  to  the  roots,  become  stationary, 
and  take  the  flax-seed  form  in  June  and  July.  In  this  state 
they  are  found  at  the  time  of  harvest;  and,  when  the  grain  is 
gathered,  they  remain  in  the  stubble  in  the  fields.  To  this, 
however,  as  Mr.  Havens  remarks,  there  are  some  exceptions; 
for  a  few  of  the  insects  do  not  pass  so  far  down  the  side  of 
the  stems  as  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the  sickle  when  the  grain 
is  reaped,  and  consequently  will  be  gathered  and  carried  away 
with  the  straw.  Most  of  them  are  transformed  to  flies  in  the 
autumn,  but  others  remain  unchanged  in  the  stubble  or  straw 
till  the  next  spring.  Hereby,  says  Mr.  Havens,  "it  appears 
evident,  that  they  may  be  removed  from  their  natural  situation 
in  the  field,  and  be  kept  alive  long  enough  to  be  carried  across 
the  Atlantic;  from  which  circumstance  it  is  possible  that  they 
might  have  been  imported"  in  straw  from  a  foreign  country. 
In  the  winged  state,  these  flies,  or  more  properly  gnats,  are 
very  active,  and,  though  very  small  and  seemingly  feeble,  are 
able  to  fly  to  a  considerable  distance  in  search  of  fields  of 
young  grain.  Their  principal  migrations  take  place  in  August 
and  September  in  the  Middle  States,  where  they  undergo 
their  final  transformations  earlier  than  in  New  England. 
There,  too,  they  sometimes  take  wing  in  immense  swarms, 
and,  being  probably  aided  by  the  wind,  are  not  stopped  in 
their  course  either  by  mountains  or  rivers.  On  their  first  ap- 
pearance in  Pennsylvania  they  w^ere  seen  to  pass  the  Delaware 
like  a  cloud.  Being  attracted  by  light,  they  have  been  known, 
during  the  wheat  harvest,  to  enter  houses  in  the  evening  in 
such  numbers  as  seriously  to  annoy  the  inhabitants.* 


*  British  and  Dobson's   "Encyclopaedia,"  and   Colonel  Morgan's   letter  in 
Carey's  "American  Museum,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  298. 


DIPTERA.  463 

Mr.   Havens  has  alluded  to   "an  opinion,  entertained  by 
many  observers,  that  there  are  three  generations  of  this  insect' 
in  a  year,"  "two"  being  completed  "before  harvest."     This 
opinion  was  revived,  in  1821,  by  jMr.  James  Worth,  of  Sharon, 
Pennsylvania.*     According  to  him,  the  second  brood  of  flies, 
which  appears  early  in  June,  had  been  altogether  overlooked, 
or  confounded  with  the  spring  brood.     Their  "eggs  were  lain 
on  the  upper  leaves  of  the  weakest  or  stunted  wheat,  and  the 
larvae  became  lodged  about  the  two  upper  joints,  but  most 
about  the  upper."     Being  very  numerous,  and  crowded  to- 
gether,  many  of  the   larvae   perished   for  want  of  food,   and 
many  also  were   destroyed  by  parasites.     Enough,  however, 
remained  alive  to  continue  the  race;  and  the  flies  were  evolved 
from  them  at  iiTcgular  intervals,  and  continued  laying  from 
the  fifteenth  of  August  till  October,  when  the  earliest  of  their 
progeny  entered  on   the  fly  state;  thus   making,   during  the 
year,  as  remarked  by  Mr.  Worth,  "three  complete  broods,  and 
partially  a  fourth."     Mr.  Say,  though  he  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  fully  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  insect,  has 
recorded  the  occurrence  of  the  fly  in  June.     His  remarks  are 
these:     "The  perfect  fly  appears  early  in  June,  lives  but  a 
short  time,  deposits  its  eggs  and  dies;  the  insects  from  these 
eggs  complete  the  history  by  preparing  for  the  winter  brood." 
In  the  year  1833,  Mr.  Herrick  saw  a  Hessian  fly  laying  eggs 
on  the  third  of  June,  another  on  the  fifth,  and  a  third  on  the 
seventh  of  the  same  month.     The  fact  of  the  occasional  ap- 
pearance of  the  flies  as  late  as  the  12th  of  June,  when  Mr. 
Worth  found  the  insects  in  all  their  stages,  seems  to  be  well 
established;  while  it  is  equally  certain  that  ordinarily  only  two 
broods  are  brought  to  perfection  in  the  course  of  one  year. 
Various  circumstances    may  contribute    to    accelerate    or  to 
retard  a  portion  of  each  brood;  and,  hence,  some  of  the  flies 
may  be  found  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  middle  of  June, 
and    others   from   the    beginning   of   August   tfll   December. 
These  circumstances  have  been  so  fully  considered  by  Mr. 
Havens,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  them  here.     The 


*  See  '•  American  Farmer,"  Vol.  III.,  p.  183. 


464  INSECTS  INJUEIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

observations  of  Mr.  Worth  are  interesting  as  showing  that  the 
insect  is  not  left  without  resources,  although  there  are  no  young 
wheat-plants  growing  in  June;  the  upper  joints  of  those  old 
plants,  that  are  late  in  ripening,  being  found  to  yield  sufficient 
nourishment  for  a  portion,  at  least,  of  the  progeny  of  the  June 
flies.  They  show,  also,  how  easily  the  insects  might  be  im- 
ported from  Europe  in  the  straw  containing  them,  in  the  flax- 
seed state,  about  the  upper  joints.  ■* 

The  old  discussion,  concerning  the  place  where  the  Hessian 
fly  lays  her  eggs,  was  revived  in  the  year  1841,  in  consequence 
of  a  communication  made  by  Miss  Margaretta  H.  Morris,  of 
Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  to  "  The  American  Philosophical 
Society,"  of  Philadelphia.  The  following  remarks  upon  it  are 
extracted  from  a  Report  made  to  the  same  Society,  and  pub- 
lished in  their  "Proceedings"  for  November  and  December, 
1840.  "  Miss  Morris  believes  she  has  established  that  the 
ovum  (egg)  of  this  destructive  insect  is  deposited  in  the  seed 
of  the  wheat,  and  not  in  the  stalk  or  culm.  She  has  watched 
the  progress  of  the  animal  since  June,  1836,  and  has  satisfied 
herself  that  she  has  frequently  seen  the  larva  within  the  seed. 
She  has  also  detected  the  larva,  at  various  stages  of  its  pro- 
gress, from  the  seed  to  between  the  body  of  the  stalk  and  the 
sheath  of  the  leaves.  According  to  her  observations,  the 
recently  hatched  larva  penetrates  to  the  centre  of  the  straw, 
where  it  may  be  found  of  a  pale  greenish  white  semitrans- 
parent  appearance,  in  form  somewhat  resembling  a  silk  worm. 
From  one  to  six  of  these  have  been  found  at  various  heights 
from  the  seed  to  the  third  joint."  Miss  Morris's  communica- 
tion had  not  been  published  in  full  when  the  first  edition  of 
this  work  was  prepared  for  the  press;  but,  from  the  foregoing 
Report,  w^e  are  led  to  infer,  that  the  egg,  being  sowed  with  the 
grain,  is  hatched  in  the  ground,  and  that  the  maggot  after- 
wards mounts  from  the  seed  through  the  middle  of  the  stern, 
and,  having  reached  a  proper  height,  escapes  from  the  hollow 
of  the  straw  to  the  outside,  where  it  takes  the  pupa  or  flax- 
seed state.  The  fact  that  the  Hessian  fly  does  ordinarily  lay 
her  eggs  on  the  young  leaves  of  wheat,  barley,  and  rye,  both 
in  the  spring  and  in  the  autumn,  is  too  well  authenticated  to 


DIPTERA.  466 

admit  of  any  doubt.  If,  therefore,  the  observations  of  Miss 
Morris  are  found  to  be  equally  correct,  they  will  serve  to  show, 
still  more  than  the  foregoing  history,  how  variable  and  extra- 
ordinary is  the  economy  of  this  insect,  and  how  great  are  the 
resources  wherewith  it  is  provided  for  the  continuation  of  its 
kind. 

The  foregoing  remarks  were  written  in  1841.  Since  that 
time,  the  communication,  to  which  they  refer,  has  been  printed,* 
and  this  has  been  followed  by  the  publication  of  several  other 
articles,*  on  the  same  subject,  by  Miss  Morris.  This  ingenious 
and  persevering  lady  has  also  favored  me  with  letters  concern- 
ing her  investigations,  and  with  some  of  the  flies.  The  latter 
were  sent,  as  she  says,  "to  convince  me,  at  least,  that  she  had 
not  mistaken  a  cvirculio,  moth,  or  bee  for  a  Cecidomyia."  Miss 
Morris  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that  this  insect  is  a  dif- 
ferent species  from  the  Hessian  fly,  for  which  it  had  previously 
been  mistaken,  and  has  given  to  it  the  name  of  Cecidomyia  cul- 
micola.  According  to  her,  the  fly  "deposits  its  eggs  early  in 
June  on  the  grain,  in  or  over  the  germ.  The  eggs  remain 
unhatched  until  the  grain  germinates,  but  when  the  plant  has 
grown  about  three  or  four  inches,  the  worm  may  be  seen,  with 
the  aid  of  a  strong  magnifying  glass,  feeding  above  the  top 
joint,  in  the  centre  of  the  culm,  where  it  remains  until  it  ar- 
rives at  maturity.  Should  this  occur  before  the  culm  has 
become  hard,  the  worm  eats  its  way  through  the  joint,  inside 
of  the  straw,  and  makes  its  escape  at  the  root,  ascends  the 
straw  on  the  outside,  where  it  attaches  itself  firmly,  and  awaits 
its  change;  the  outer  skin  becomes  the  puparium.  In  the 
pupa  or  flax-seed  state,  it  closely  resembles  the  C.  destructor. 
Should  the  culm  of  the  wheat  become  prematurely  hard  before 
the  worm  has  finished  feeding,  as  is  often  the  case,  the  insect 
will  remain  imprisoned  for  life,  passing  through  its  changes 
inside  the  straw,  and  there  perish  without  the  power  to  escape, 
unless  some  accidental  passage  be  made  for  it.     I  have  hb- 


*  "  Transactions  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,"  Philadelphia.  New 
Series.  Vol.  VIII.,  p.  48.  —  "  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences," 
Philadelphia.  Vol.  I.,  p.  66  ;  Vol.  IH.,  p.  238 ;  and  Vol.  IV.,  p.  194. 
59 


466  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

erated,"  she  adds,  "  hundreds  with  ray  penknife,  and  thousands 
make  their  escape  after  the  grain  has  been  reaped  and  carried 
into  the  barn.  When  the  insect  is  thus  unnaturally  retarded, 
the  time  of  its  perfect  development  is  uncertain ; "  and  she  has 
"found  them  on  the  straw,  and  in  spiders'  webs,  from  June 
until  September."  Four  of  the  specimens  sent  to  me  by  Miss 
Morris  were  males.  Another  subsequently  received  was  a 
female.  The  former  were  not  more  than  half  the  size  of  the 
latter,  and  indeed  were  smaller  even  than  the  wheat-fly,  which 
they  seemed  somewhat  to  resemble.  The  female  was  evi- 
dently much  darker  colored  originally  than  the  males.  These 
insects  were  genuine  specimens  of  Cecidomi/ia,  and  apparently 
of  a  different  species  from  the  Hessian  fly.  The  condition  of 
the  specimens,  which  had  suffered  by  compression  and  by  being 
badly  preserved,  was  such  that  an  accurate  comparison  and 
description  of  them  could  not  be  made.  I  understand  that 
the  species  has  disappeared  from  Germantown  and  the  vicinity, 
and  hence  no  opportunity  for  obtaining  living  or  recent  speci- 
mens has  occurred  since  the  year  1843. 

Various  means  have  been  recommended  for  preventing  or 
lessening  the  ravages  of  the  Hessian  fly;  but  they  have  hith- 
erto failed,  either  because  they  have  not  been  adapted  to  the 
end  in  view,  or  because  they  have  not  been  universally  adopted; 
and  it  appears  doubtful,  whether  any  of  them  will  ever  entirely 
exterminate  the  insect.  It  is  stated  in  the  before  mentioned 
Report  of  "  The  Philosophical  Society,"  that  Miss  Morris  ad- 
vises obtaining  "fresh  seed  from  localities  in  which  the  fly  has 
not  made  its  appearance,"  and  that  "by  this  means  the  crop 
of  the  following  year  will  be  uninjured;  but  in  order  to  avoid 
the  introduction  of  straggling  insects  of  the  kind  from  adja- 
cent fields,  it  is  requisite  that  a  whole  neighborhood  should 
persevere  in  this  precaution  for  two  or  more  years  in  succes- 
sion." "This  result,"  Miss  Morris  says,  "was  obtained,  in 
part,  in  the  course  of  trials  made  by  Mr.  Kirk,  of  Buck's 
county,  Pennsylvania,  with  some  seed-wheat  from  the  Medi- 
terranean, in  and  since  the  year  1837.  His  first  crop  was  free 
from  the  fly;  but  it  was  gradually  introduced  from  adjacent 
fields,  and,  in  the  present  year  (1840),  the  mischief  has  been 


DIPTERA.  40t 

considerable."  In  other  hands  this  course  has  proved  of  no 
use  whatever.  Not  to  mention  other  instances,  the  following 
appears  to  be  conclusive  on  this  point.  About  fifty  years 
ago,  Mr.  Garret  Bergen,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  procured  two 
bushels  of  wheat  from  the  Genesee  country,  then  an  unin- 
fected district,  which  he  sowed  in  a  field  adjoining  a  piece 
seeded  with  grain  of  his  own  gathering.  Both  pieces  were 
severely  damaged  by  the  Hessian  fly,  which  could  not  have 
happened,  in  the  same  season,  if  the  eggs  of  the  insect  are 
laid  only  on  the  grain.  A  few  years  ago  he  soaked  his  seed- 
wheat  in  strong  pickle,  and  the  crop  was  comparatively  free 
from  the  fly.  In  1839  he  tried  this  experiment  again,  but  not 
with  similar  success.  In  1840  he  sowed  without  previously 
soaking  the  grain,  and  his  crop  was  uninjured.  He  says, 
moreover,  that  he  has  uniformly  found  the  grain  most  affected 
in  spots,  usually  near  the  edges  of  the  field,  where  long  grass 
and  weeds  grew,  which  afforded  shelter  and  protection  to  the 
fly.  This  fact,  he  thinks,  affords  another  proof  that  the  egg  is 
not  deposited  in  the  grain.  I  regret  that  my  limits  will  not 
permit  me  to  extract  the  whole  of  Mr.  Bergen's  interesting 
remarks,  which  may  be  found  in  number  eight,  of  the  eighth 
volume  of  "  The  Cultivator,"  published  in  Albany  in  August, 
1841.  The  best  modes  of  preventing  the  ravages  of  the  Hes- 
sian fly  are  thus  stated  by  Mr.  Herrick.*  "  The  stouter  varie- 
ties of  wheat  ought  always  to  be  chosen,  and  the  land  should 
be  kept  in  good  condition.  If  fall  wheat  is  sown  late,  some 
of  the  eggs  will  be  avoided,  but  the  risk  of  winter-killing  the 
plants  will  be  incurred.  If  cattle  are  permitted  to  graze  the 
wheat-fields  during  the  fall,  they  will  devour  many  of  the  eggs. 
A  large  number  of  the  pupae  may  be  destroyed  by  burning 
the  wheat-stubble  immediately  after  harvest,  and  then  plough- 
ing and  harrowing  the  land.  This  method  will  undoubtedly 
do  much  good.  As  the  Hessian  fly  also  lays  its  eggs,  to  some 
extent,  on  rye  and  barley,  these  crops  should  be  treated  in  a 
similar  manner."  On  mature  reflection,  I  am  confident  that 
burning  the  stubble,  as  originally  recommended  by  Mr.  Havens, 


*  "  American  Journal  of  Science,"  Vol.  XLI.,  p.  158. 


468  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  advised  by  Mr.  Herrick,  is  the  very  best  method  of  getting 
rid  of  the  Hessian  fly.  It  is  true  that  by  so  doing,  many  of 
the  numerous  parasites  of  the  insect  will  also  be  destroyed. 
But  this  need  not  give  us  any  concern ;  for  if  we  can  succeed 
in  putting  a  stop  to  the  ravages  of  the  Hessian  fly,  by  these 
or  any  other  means,  we  shall  not  have  occasion  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  the  parasites.  It  is  found  that  luxuriant  crops  more 
often  escape  injury  than  those  that  are  thin  and  light.  Steep- 
ing the  grain  and  rolling  it  in  plaster  or  lime  tend  to  promote 
a  rapid  and  vigorous  growth,  and  will  therefore  prove  bene- 
ficial. Sowing  the  fields  with  wood  ashes,  in  the  proportion  of 
two  bushels  to  an  acre,  in  the  autumn,  and  again  in  the  first 
and  last  weeks  in  April,  and  as  late  in  the  month  of  May  as 
the  sower  can  pass  over  the  wheat  without  injury  to  it,  has 
been  found  useful.*  Favorable  reports  have  been  made  upon 
the  practice  of  allowing  sheep  to  feed  off*  the  crop  late  in  the 
autumn,  and  it  has  also  been  recommended  to  turn  them  into 
the  fields  again  in  the  spring,  in  order  to  retard  the  growth  of 
the  plant  till  after  the  fly  has  disappeared.!  Too  much  can- 
not be  said  in  favor  of  a  judicious  management  of  the  soil, 
feeding  off"  the  crop  by  cattle  in  the  autumn,  and  burning  the 
stubble  after  harvest;  a  proper  and  general  attention  to  which 
will  materially  lessen  the  evils  arising  from  the  depredations 
of  this  noxious  insect. 

Fortunately  our  efforts  will  be  aided  by  a  host  of  parasitical 
insects,  which  are  found  to  prey  upon  the  eggs,  the  larvae,  and 
the  pupae  of  the  Hessian  fly.  Mr.  Hemck  states,:]:  that,  in 
this  part  of  the  country,  a  very  large  proportion,  probably 
more  than  nine  tenths,  of  every  generation  of  this  fly  is  thus 
destroyed.  One  of  these  parasites  was  made  known  by  Mr. 
Say,  in  the  first  volume  of  the  "Journal  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia;"  and  the  interesting  dis- 
covery of  three  more  kinds  is  due  to  the  exertions  of  Mr. 
Herrick.     They  are  all  minute  Hymenopterous  insects,  similar 


*  "  Cultivator,"  Vol.  V.,  p.  59. 

t  '♦  Cultivator,"  Vol.  IV.,  p.  110,  and  Vol.  V.,  p.  49. 

X  "American  Journal  of  Science,"  Vol.  XLL,  p.  156. 


DIPTERA.  409 

in  their  habits  to  the  true  Ichneumon-flies.  The  chief  parasite 
of  the  pupa  is  the  Ceraphron  destructor*  of  Say,  a  shining 
black  four-winged  fly,  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length. 
This  has  often  been  mistaken  for  the  Hessian  fly,  from  being 
seen  in  wheat-fields,  in  vast  numbers,  and  from  its  being  found 
to  come  out  of  the  dried  larva-skin  of  that  fly.  In  the  month 
of  June,  when  the  maggot  of  the  Hessian  fly  has  taken  the 
form  of  a  flax-seed,  the  Ceraphron  pierces  it,  through  the 
sheath  of  the  leaf,  and  lays  an  e^^  in  the  minute  hole  thus 
made.  From  this  egg  is  hatched  a  little  maggot,  which  de- 
vours the  pupa  of  the  Hessian  fly,  and  then  changes  to  a 
chrysalis  within  the  shell  of  the  latter,  through  which  it  finally 
eats  its  way,  after  being  transformed  to  a  fly.  This  last  change 
takes  place  both  in  the  autumn  and  in  the  following  spring. 
Some  of  the  females  of  this  or  of  a  closely  allied  species 
come  forth  from  the  shells  of  the  Hessian  fly,  without  wings, 
or  with  only  very  short  and  imperfect  wings,  in  which  form 
they  somewhat  resemble  minute  ants.  Two  more  parasites, 
which  Mr.  Herrick  has  not  yet  described,  also  destroy  the 
Hessian  fly,  while  the  latter  is  in  the  flax-seed  or  pupa  state. 
Mr.  Herrick  says,  that  the  egg-parasite  of  the  Hessian  fly  is  a 
species  of  Platygaster,  that  it  is  very  abundant  in  the  autumn, 
when  it  lays  its  own  eggs,  four  or  five  together,  in  a  single  egg 
of  the  Hessian  fly.  This,  it  appears,  does  not  prevent  the 
latter  from  hatching,  but  the  maggot  of  the  Hessian  fly  is 
unable  to  go  through  its  transformations,  and  dies  after  taking 
the  flax-seed  form.  Meanwhile  its  intestine  foes  are  hatched, 
come  to  their  growth,  spin  themselves  little  brownish  cocoons 
within  the  skin  of  their  victim,  and,  in  due  time,  are  changed 
to  winged  insects,  and  eat  their  way  out.  Such  are  some  of 
the  natural  means,  provided  by  a  benevolent  Providence,  to 
check  the  ravages  of  the  destructive  Hessian  fly.     If  we  are 


*  It  is  evident,  from  Mr.  Say's  description,  and  from  Mr.  Lesueur's  figures, 
that  this  insect  is  not  a  Ceraphron.  Neither  does  it  belong  to  the  genus  Eury- 
toma,  to  -which  I  formerly  referred  it.  It  certainly  comes  very  near  to  Pteromalus, 
as  suggested  by  Mr.  Wcstwood ;  but  I  apprehend  that  it  should  be  placed  in  the 
genus  Bhaphiteius  of  Walker,  or  Storthygocerus  of  Ratzeburg. 


itO  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

humiliated  by  the  reflection,  that  the  Author  of  the  universe 
should  have  made  even  small  and  feeble  insects  the  instru- 
ments of  His  power,  and  that  He  should  occasionally  permit 
them  to  become  the  scourges  of  our  race,  ought  we  not  to 
admire  His  wisdom  in  the  formation  of  the  still  more  humble 
agents  that  are  appointed  to  arrest  the  work  of  destruction. 

The  wheat  crops  in  England  and  Scotland  often  suffer 
severely  from  the  depredations  of  the  maggots  of  a  very  small 
gnat,  called  the  wheat-fly,  or  the  Cecido^mjia  Tritici  of  Mr. 
Kirby.  This  insect  seems  to  have  been  long  known  in  Eng- 
land, as  appears  from  the  following  extract  from  a  letter,  by 
Mr.  Christopher  Gullet,  written  in  1771,  and  published  in  the 
"Philosophical  Transactions"  for  1772.  "  What  the  farmers 
call  the  yellows  in  wheat,  and  which  they  consider  as  a  kind 
of  mildew,  is,  in  fact,  occasioned  by  a  small  yellow  fly,  with 
blue  wings,  about  the  size  of  a  gnat.  This  blows  in  the  ear 
of  the  corn,  and  produces  a  worm,  almost  invisible  to  the 
naked  eye;  but,  being  seen  through  a  pocket  microscope,  it 
appears  a  large  yellow  maggot,  of  the  color  and  gloss  of  am- 
ber, and  is  so  prolific  that  I  distinctly  counted  forty-one  living 
yellow  maggots  in  the  husk  of  one  single  grain  of  wheat,  a 
number  sufficient  to  eat  up  and  destroy  the  corn  in  a  whole 
ear.  One  of  those  yellow  flies  laid  at  least  eight  or  ten  eggs, 
of  an  oblong  shape,  on  my  thumb,  only  while  carrying  by  the 
wing  across  three  or  four  ridges."  In  1795,  the  history  of  this 
insect  was  investigated  by  IVIr.  Marsham,*  and  since  that  time 
Mr.  Kirby,f  Mr.  Gorrie,  and  Mr.  Shirreff,  J  have  also  turned 
their  attention  to  it.  The  investigations  of  these  gentlemen 
have  become  very  interesting  to  us,  on  account  of  the  recent 
appearance,  in  our  own  country,  and  the  extensive  ravages,  of 
an  insect  apparently  identical  with  the  European  wheat-fly. 
The  following  account  of  the  latter  will  serve  to  show  how  far 
the  European  and  American  wheat-flies  agree  in  their  essential 

*  "  Transactions  of  the  Linnaean  Society,"  Vol.  III.,  p.  142,  and  Vol.  IV.,  p. 
224. 

t  "Transactions  of  the  Linnaean  Society,"  Vol.  IV.,  p,  230,  and  Vol.  V.,  p.  96. 
•     X  Loudon's  "Magazine  of  Natural  History,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  323,  and  448. 


DIPTERA.  471 

characters  and  in  their  habits.*  The  European  wheat-ily 
somewhat  resembles  a  mosquito  in  form,  but  is  very  small, 
being  only  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  long.  Its  body  is 
orange-colored.  Its  two  wings  are  transparent,  and  change- 
able in  color;  they  are  narrow  at  the  base,  rounded  at  the  tip, 
and  are  fringed  with  little  hairs  on  the  edges.  Its  long  an- 
tennae, or  horns,  consist,  in  the  female,  of  twelve  little  bead-like 
joints,  each  encircled  with  minute  hairs;  those  of  the  male 
will  probably  be  found  to  have  a  greater  number  of  joints. 
Towards  the  end  of  .lune,  or  when  the  wheat  is  in  blossom, 
these  fiies  appear  in  swarms  in  the  wheat-fields  during  the 
evening,  at  which  time  they  are  very  active.  The  females 
generally  lay  their  eggs  before  nine  o'clock,  at  night,  thrusting 
them,  by  means  of  a  long,  retractile  tube  in  the  end  of  their 
bodies,  within  the  chaffy  scales  of  the  flowers,  in  clusters  of 
from  two  to  fifteen,  or  more.  By  day  they  remain  at  rest  on 
the  stems  and  leaves  of  the  plants,  where  they  are  shaded  from 
the  heat  of  the  sun.  They  continue  to  appear  and  lay  tiieir 
eggs  throughout  a  period  of  thirty-nine  days.  The  eggs  are 
oblong,  transparent,  and  of  a  pale  buff  color,  and  hatch  in 
eight  or  ten  days  after  they  are  laid.  The  young  insects,  pro- 
duced from  them,  are  little  footless  maggots,  tapering  towards 
the  head,  and  blunt  at  the  hinder  extremity,  with  the  rings  of 
the  body  somewhat  wrinkled  and  bulging  at  the  sides.  They 
are  at  first  perfectly  transparent  and  colorless,  but  soon  take  a 
deep  yellow  or  orange  color.  They  do  not  travel  from  one 
floret  to  another,  but  move  in  a  wriggling  manner,  and  by 
sudden  jerks  of  the  body,  when  disturbed.  As  many  as  forty- 
seven  have  been  counted  in  a  single  floret.  It  is  supposed, 
that  they  live  at  first  upon  the  pollen,  and  thereby  prevent  the 
fertilization  of  the  grain.  They  are  soon  seen,  however,  to 
crowd  around  the  lower  part  of  the  germ,  and  there  appear  to 
subsist  on  the  matter  destined  to  have  formed  the  grain.  The 
latter,  in  consequence  of  their  depredations,  becomes  shrivelled 
and  abortive;  and,  in  some  seasons,  a  considerable  part  of  the 


*  See  also  my  article  on  wheat  insects  in  the  "  New  England  Farmer,"  for 
March  31,  1841,  Vol.  XIX.,  p.  306. 


4^  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

crop  is  thereby  rendered  worthless.  The  maggt)ts,  when  fully 
grown,  are  nearly  one  eighth  of  an  inch  long.  Mr.  Marsham 
and  Mr.  Kirby  found  some  of  them  changed  to  pupae,  within 
the  ears  of  the  wheat,  and  from  these  they  obtained  the  fly 
early  in  September.  The  pupa,  represented  by  them,  is  rather 
smaller  than  the  full-grown  maggot,  of  a  brownish  yellow 
color,  and  of  an  oblong  oval  form,  tapering  at  each  end.  The 
pupae  found  in  the  ears  were  very  few  in  number,  scarcely  one 
to  fifty  of  the  maggots.  Hence  Mr.  Kirby  supposes,  that  the 
latter  are  not  ordinarily  transformed  to  flies  before  the  spring. 
Towards  the  end  of  September  he  carefully  took  off  the  skin 
of  one  of  them,  and  found  that  the  insect  within  still  retained 
the  maggot  form,  and  conjectures  that  the  pupa  is  not  usually 
complete  until  the  following  spring.  It  is  evident,  from  these 
observations,  that  the  English  naturalists,  above  named,  re- 
garded the  insect  as  having  entered  upon  the  pupa  state  when 
it  ceased  feeding  and  became  quiescent,  at  which  time  Mr. 
Kirby  found  it  generally  to  adhere  somewhat  to  the  grain.  In 
applying  to  it,  in  this  condition,  the  name  of  chrysalis  or  pupa, 
and  describing  it  as  such,  before  it  exhibited  any  trace  of  "  the 
lineaments  of  the  future  fly,"  and  while  "  still  in  the  form  of 
the  larva,"  they  followed  the  common  usage  of  naturalists,  as 
stated  in  my  account  of  the  Hessian  fly.  They  cannot,  there- 
fore, be  said  to  have  mistaken  the  larva  for  the  matured  pupa; 
the  remarks  of  Mr.  Kirby  prove  that  he  was  well  aware  of  the 
difference  between  them.  Mr.  Kirby,  however,  was  mistaken 
in  his  conjecture  that  "the  insect  inclosed  itself  in  a  thin 
membrane  to  protect  itself  from  the  cold  of  the  winter;"  the 
membrane,  referred  to,  being  merely  the  outer  skin  of  the  larva, 
loosened  previously  to  being  cast  off  entirely ;  a  process  which 
he  did  not  observe.  According  to  Mr.  Gorrie,  the  maggots 
quit  the  ears  of  the  wheat  by  the  first  of  August,  descend  to 
the  ground,  and  go  into  it  to  the  depth  of  half  an  inch.  That 
they  remain  here  unchanged  through  the  winter,  and  finish 
their  transformations,  and  come  out  of  the  ground  in  the 
winged  form,  in  the  spring,  when  the  wheat  is  about  to  blos- 
som, is  rendered  probable  from  the  great  number  of  the  flies 
found  by  Mr.  Shkreff,  in  the  month  of  June,  in  all  the  fields 


DIPTERA.  473 

where  wheat  had  been  raised  the  year  before.  Tlir  increase 
of  these  flies  is  somewhat  checked  by  the  attacks  of  throe 
different  parasites,  which  have  been  described  by  Mr.  Kirby. 
An  excellent  summary  of  the  history  of  this  insect,  illustrated 
with  figures,  was  published  by  Mr.  Curtis,  in  the  year  184o,  in 
the  sixth  volume  of  the  "Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricultural 
Society  of  England." 

An  insect,  resembling  the  foregoing  in  its  destructive  habits, 
and  known,  in  its  maggot  form,  by  the  name  of  "the  grain- 
worm,"  and  "the  weevil,"  has  been  observed,  for  several  years, 
in  the  northern  and  eastern  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  in 
Canada.  It  seems  by  some  to  have  been  mistaken  for  the 
grain-weevil,  the  Angoumois  grain-moth,  and  the  Hessian  fly; 
and  its  history  has  been  so  confounded  with  that  of  another 
insect,  also  called  the  grain-worm,  in  some  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, that  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  injury  done 
by  either  of  them  alone.  The  wheat-fly  is  said  to  have  been 
first  seen  in  America  about  the  year  1828,*  in  the  northern 
part  of  Vermont,  and  on  the  borders  of  Lower  Canada.  From 
these  places  its  ravages  have  gradually  extended,  in  various 
directions,  from  year  to  year.  A  considerable  part  of  Upper 
Canada,  of  New  York,  New  Hampshire,  and  of  Massachu- 
setts, have  been  visited  by  it;  and,  in  1834,  it  appeared  in 
Maine,  which  it  has  traversed,  in  an  easterly  course,  at  tlie 
rate  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  a  year.  The  country,  over 
which  it  has  spread,  has  continued  to  suffer  more  or  less  from 
its  alarming  depredations,  the  loss  by  which  has  been  found 
to  vary  from  about  one  tenth  part  to  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
annual  crop  of  wheat;  nor  has  the  insect  entirely  disappeared 
in  any  place,  till  it  has  been  starved  out  by  a  change  of  agri- 
culture, or  by  the  substitution  of  late-sown  spring  wheat  for 
the  other  varieties  of  grain.  Many  communications  on  this 
destructive  insect  have  appeared  in  "  The    Genesee   Farmer," 


*  Jud!,'e  Buel's  Report  in  "The  Cultivator,"  Vol.  YI.,  p.  26;  and  "New 
England  Farmer,"  Vol.  IX.,  p.  42.  Mr.  Jcwett  says,  that  its  first  ajipcarance  in 
western  Vermont  occurred  in  1820.  See  "New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  XIX., 
p.  301. 

60 


474  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

and  ill  "  The  Cultivator,"  some  of  them  written  by  the  late 
Judge  Buel,  by  whom,  as  well  as  by  the  editors  of  "  The 
Yankee  Farmer,"  rewards  were  offered  for  the  discovery  of 
the  means  to  prevent  its  ravages.  Premiums  have  also  been 
proposed,  for  the  same  end,  by  the  "  Kennebec  County  Agri- 
cultaral  Society,"  in  Maine,  which  were  followed  by  the  pub- 
lication, in  "The  Maine  Farmer,"  of  three  "Essays  on  the 
Grain  Worm,"  presented  to  that  Society.  These  essays  were 
reprinted  in  the  seventeenth  volume  of  the  "  New  England 
Farmer,"  wherein,  as  well  as  in  some  other  volumes  of  the 
same  work,  several  other  articles  on  this  insect  may  be  found. 
From  these  sources,  and,  more  especially,  from  some  interest- 
ing letters  wherewith  I  was  favored  in  the  years  1838  and 
1841,  by  Mrs.  N.  G.  Gage,  formerly  of  Hopkinton,  New 
Hampshire,  the  history  of  the  wheat-fly  in  America,  published 
in  the  first  edition  of  this  work,  was  chiefly  derived.  It  will 
be  found  to  contain  a  circumstantial  relation  of  the  moulting 
of  the  maggot,  a  process  which  hitherto  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  understood  in  Europe,  and  which  later  writers  on 
the  history  of  the  wheat-fly  in  this  country  have  failed  to  de- 
scribe. Personal  observations  on  this  insect  in  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire,  and  in  the  western  parts  of  Massachusetts 
and  of  Connecticut,  together  with  information  gathered  there 
from  intelligent  farmers,  confirm  the  general  correctness  of  my 
former  statements,  and  enable  me  to  add  thereto  some  further 
particulars. 

The  American  wheat-insect,  which  I  have  seen  alive,  in  its 
winged  form,  in  Maine  and  in  New  Hampshire,  and  which  I 
have  also  reared  from  the  larva,  agrees  exactly  with  the  de- 
scriptions and  figures  of  the  European  wheat-fly,  or  Cecidomyia 
Triiici  of  Mr.  Kirby.  It  is  a  very  small  orange-colored  gnat, 
with  long,  slender,  pale-yellow  legs,  and  two  transparent  wings, 
reflecting  the  tints  of  the  rainbow,  and  fringed  with  delicate 
hairs.  Its  eyes  are  black  and  prominent.  Its  face  and  feelers 
are  yellow.  Its  antennte  are  long  and  blackish.  Those  of  the 
male  are  twice  as  long  as  the  body,  and  consist  of  twenty-four 
joints,  which,  excepting  the  two  basal  ones,  are  globular,  sur- 


DIPTERA.  475 

rounded  by  hairs,  and  connected  by  slender  porlion!=i,  like  bctids 
on  a  string.*  The  antennae  of  the  females  are  about  as  long 
as  the  body,  and  consist  of  only  twelve  joints,  which,  except 
two  at  the  base,  are  oblong  oval,  narrowed  somev/hat  in  the 
middle,  and  surrounded  by  two  whorls  of  hairs.  These  insects 
vary  much  in  size.  The  largest  females  do  not  exceed  one 
tenth  of  an  inch  in  length;  and  many  are  found,  towards  the 
end  of  the  season,  less  than  half  this  length.  The  males  are 
usually  rather  smaller  than  the  females,  and  somewhat  paler 
in  color.  Among  hundreds  that  I  have  examined  in  the  living 
state,  I  have  never  found  one  specimen  with  sported  winL!;s. 

The  time  of  their  appearance  in  the  winged  form  varies 
according  to  the  season  a-nd  the  situation,  from  the  beginning 
of  June  to  the  end  of  August.  In  Salisbury,  Connecticut, 
they  had  entirely  disappeared  before  the  twenty-fifth  of  July, 
1851;  but  during  the  same  year,  I  found  them  still  in  some 
numbers  at  North  Conway,  in  New  Hampshire,  on  the  seven- 
teenth of  August;  and  three  days  later,  near  the  base  of  the 
White  Mountains.  In  most  parts  of  New  England,  where 
wheat  is  cultivated,  immense  swarms  of  these  orange-colored 
gnats  infest  fields  of  grain  towards  the  last  of  Jvme.  While 
the  sun  shines  they  conceal  themselves  among  the  leaves  and 
weeds  near  the  ground.  They  take  wing  during  the  morning 
and  evening  twilight,  and  also  in  cloudy  weather,  when  they 
lay  their  eggs  in  the  opening  flowers  of  the  grain.  New 
swarms  continue  to  come  forth  in  succession,  till  the  end  of 
July;  but  Mr.  Buel  says  that  the  principal  deposit  of  eggs  is 
made  in  the  first  half  of  July,  when  late  sown  winter-wheat 
and  early  sown  spring-wheat  are  in  the  blossom  or  milk;  and 
this  statement  agrees  with  the  observations  of  Mrs.  Gage. 
The  -flies  are  not  confined  to  wheat  alone,  but  deposit  in  bar- 
ley, rye,  and  oats,  when  these  plants  are  in  flower  at  the  time 
of  their  appearance.  I  have  found  the  maggots  within  the 
seed-scales  of  grass,  growing  near  to  wheat-fields.  Thf  eggs 
hatch  in  about  eight  days  after  they  are  laid,  when  the  little 
yellow  maggots   or  grain-worms   may  be    found  within  the 


*  These  joints  seem  to  me  to  be  somewhat  approximated  in  pairs. 


476  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

chaffy  scales  of  the  grain.  Being  hatched  at  various  times 
during  a  period  of  four  or  five  weeks,  they  do  not  all  arrive  at 
maturity  together.  Mrs.  Gage  informs  me  that  they  appear 
to  come  to  tiieir  growth  in  twelve  or  fourteen  days.  They  do 
not  exceed  one  eighth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  many,  even, 
when  fully  grown,  are  much  smaller.  From  two  to  fifteen 
or  twenty  have  been  found  within  the  husk  of  a  single  grain, 
and  sometimes  in  every  husk  in  the  ear.  In  warm  and  shel- 
tered situations,  and  in  parts  of  fields  protected  from  the  wind 
by  fences,  buildings,  trees,  or  bushes,  the  insects  are  said  to  be 
much  more  numerous  than  in  fields  upon  high  ground  or  other 
exposed  places,  where  the  grain  is  kept  in  constant  motion  by 
the  wind.  Grain  is  commonly  more  infested  by  them  during 
the  second  than  the  first  year,  when  grown  on  the  same  ground 
two  years  in  succession ;  and  it  suffers  more  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  old  fields,  than  in  places  more  remote.  These  in- 
sects prey  on  the  wheat  in  the  milky  state,  and  their  ravages 
cease  when  the  grain  becomes  hard.  They  do  not  burrow 
within  the  kernels,  but  live  on  the  pollen  and  on  the  soft  mat- 
ter of  the  grain,  which  they  probably  extract  from  the  base  of 
the  germs.  It  appears,  from  various  statements,  that  very 
early  and  very  late  wheat  escape  with  comparatively  little 
injury;  the  amount  of  which,  in  other  cases,  depends  upon 
the  condition  of  the  grain  at  the  time  when  the  maggots  are 
hatched.  When  the  maggots  begin  their  depredations  soon 
afrer  the  blossoming  of  the  grain,  they  do  the  greatest  injury; 
for  the  kernels  never  fill  out  at  all.  Pinched  or  partly  filled 
kernels  are  the  consequence  of  their  attacks  when  the  grain  is 
more  advanced.  The  hulls  of  the  impoverished  kernels  will 
always  be  found  split  open  on  the  convex  side,  so  as  to  expose 
the  embryo.  This  is  caused  by  the  drying  and  shrinking  of 
the  hull,  after  a  portion  of  the  contents  thereof  has  been 
sucked  out  by  the  maggots.  Towards  the  end  of  July  and  in 
the  beginning  of  August,  the  full-grown  maggots  leave  off 
eating,  and  become  sluggish  and  torpid,  preparatory  to  moult- 
ing their  skins.  This  process,  which  has  been  alluded  to  by 
Judge  Buel  and  some  other  writers,  has  been  carefully  observed 
by  Mrs.  Gage,  who  sent  to  me  the  maggots  before  and  after 


DIPTERA.  477 

moulting,  together  with  some  of  their  cast  skins.  It  takes 
place  in  the  following  manner.  The  body  of  the  maggot 
gradually  shrinks  in  length  within  its  skin,  and  becomes  more 
flattened  and  less  pointed,  as  may  easily  be  seen  through  the 
delicate  transparent  skin,  which  retains  nearly  its  original  form 
and  dimensions,  and  extends  a  little  beyond  the  included  in- 
sect at  each  end.  The  torpid  state  lasts  only  a  few  days,  after 
which  the  insect  casts  off  its  skin,  leaving  the  latter  entire, 
except  a  little  rent  in  one  end  of  it.  Mrs.  Gage  observed 
many  of  the  maggots  in  the  very  act  of  emerging  from  their 
skins.  The  cast  skins  are  exceedingly  thin,  and  colorless, 
and,  through  a  microscope,  are  seen  to  be  marked  with  eleven 
transverse  lines.  Great  numbers  of  the  skins  are  to  be  found 
in  the  wheat-ears  immediately  after  the  moulting  process  is 
completed.  Sometimes  the  maggots  descend  from  the  plants, 
and  moult  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  where  they  leave  their 
cast  skins,  as  described  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Dawson,  of  Pictou,  Nova 
Scotia.*  Late  broods  are  sometimes  harvested  with  the  grain 
and  carried  into  the  barn  without  having  moulted.  This 
seems  to  have  often  happened  in  England,  where  the  insect 
has  been  repeatedly  noticed  in  the  transition  state,  still  en- 
closed within  its  loosened  filmy  skin.  It  is  somewhat  remark- 
able that  the  true  nature  of  this  covering  of  the  maggot  should 
not  have  been  ascertained  by  English  naturalists.  Mr.  Kirby, 
as  before  stated,  supposed  it  to  be  a  thin  membrane,  formed 
by  the  insect  for  the  protection  of  its  body  from  the  cold  of 
winter.  According  to  Professor  Henslow's  account,  the  larvae 
"spin  themselves  up  in  a  very  thin  and  transparent  web,  which 
is  often  attached  to  a  sound  grain,  or  to  the  inside  of  one  of 
the  chaff-scales."  t  Mr.  Curtis  observed  on  the  backs  of  some 
of  the  shrivelled  grains  "a  long  narrow  filmy  sac,  on  opening 
which  a  bright  orange  granulated  maggot  came  out  alive;  and 
when  shut  up  in  a  tin  box,  many  voluntarily  left  their  cases 
and  wandered  about."  J     Having  carefully  watched  the  insect 

*  '♦  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,"  Vol. 
IV.,  p.  210. 

t  "  Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England,"  Vol.  II.,  p.  22. 
X  "Journal  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England,"  Vol.  VI.,  p.  145. 


4SfS  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

during  the  moulting  period,  I  am  convinced  that  what  these 
gentlemen  called  a  "membrane,"  "web,"  or  "sac,"  is  really 
the  loosened  outer  skin  of  the  maggot,  which  is  subsequently 
thrown  off  in  the  ears  of  the  wheat,  or  is  cast  upon  the  surface 
of  the  ground. 

After  shedding  its  skin,  the  maggot  recovers  its  activity,  and 
writhes  about  as  at  first,  but  takes  no  food.  It  is  shorter, 
somewhat  flattened,  and  more  obtuse  than  before,  and  is  of  a 
deeper  yellow  color,  \vith  an  oblong  greenish  spot  in  the  middle 
of  the  body.  Within  two  or  three  days  after  moulting,  the 
maggots  either  descend  of  their  own  accord,  or  are  shaken  out 
of  the  ears  by  the  wind,  and  fall  to  the  ground.  They  do  not 
let  themselves  down  by  threads,  for  they  are  not  able  to  spin. 
Nearly  all  of  them  disappear  before  the  middle  of  August; 
and  they  are  very  rarely  found  in  the  grain  at  the  time  of  har- 
vest. Mrs.  Gage  stated,  in  one  of  her  letters,  that  she  had  not 
observed  "how  and  when  the  insects  issue  from  the  grain," 
but  that  it  was  "apparent  they  go  in  company,"  and  "perhaps 
they  crawl  out  upon  the  heads  during  a  rain,  and  are  washed 
down  to  the  ground,  where  they  remain  through  the  winter." 
On  the  fourteenth  of  August,  1841,  she  visited  again  the  field 
of  wheat  where,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  July,  she  had  found 
great  numbers  of  the  maggots,  and  observed  that  "  a  very  few 
of  all  that  multitude  were  left.  On  rubbing  the  ears,  their 
silvery  coverings  glistened  in  the  sunshine,  and  floated  away 
on  the  breeze.  A  warm  rain  had  fallen  between  these  visits." 
In  an  account  of  the  damage  done  by  these  insects  in  Ver- 
mont, in  the  summer  of  1833,  it  is  stated  that,  "after  a  shower 
of  rain,  they  have  been  seen  in  such  countless  numbers  on  the 
beards  of  the  wheat,  as  to  give  the  whole  field  the  color  of  the 
insect."*  Mr.  Elijah  Wood,  of  Winthrop,  Maine,  in  a  short 
conununication,  written  in  the  summer  of  1837,  made  the  fol- 
lowing remarks.  "  This  day,  9th  of  August,  a  warm  rain  is 
falling,  and  a  neighbor  of  mine  has  brought  me  a  head  of 
wheat  which  has  become  loaded  with  the  worms.  They  are 
crawling  out  from  the  husk  or  chaff"  of  the  grain,  and  were  on 

*  "  New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  XII.,  p.  60. 


DIPTERA.  479 

the  beards,  and  he  says  he  saw  great  numbers  of  them  on  the 
ground."  *  From  these  observations,  and  from  remarks  to  the 
same  effect,  made  to  me  by  intelligent  farmers,  it  appears  that 
the  descent  of  the  insects  is  facilitated  by  falling  rain  and 
heavy  dews. 

Having  reached  the  ground,  the  maggots  soon  burrow  under 
the  surface,  sometimes  to  the  depth  of  about  an  inch,  those  of 
them  that  have  not  already  moulted  casting  their  skins  before 
entering  the  earth.  Here  they  remain,  without  further  change, 
through  the  following  winter.  During  the  month  of  May,  I 
have  seen  specimens  still  in  the  larva  form,  in  the  earth  wherein 
they  had  been  kept  during  the  winter.  It  is  not  usually  till 
June  that  they  are  transformed  to  pupse.  This  change  is  ef- 
fected without  another  moulting  of  the  skin ;  not  the  slightest 
vestige  of  the  larva-skin  being  found  in  the  earth  in  which 
some  of  these  insects  had  undergone  their  transformations. 
Moreover,  the  pupa  is  entirely  naked,  not  being  enclosed  either 
in  a  cocoon  or  in  the  puparium  formed  of  this  outer  skin  of 
the  larva,  and  it  has  its  limbs  and  \vings  free  or  unconfined. 
The  pupa  state  lasts  but  a  short  time,  a  week  or  two  at  most, 
and  probably,  in  many  cases,  only  a  few  days.  Under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances,  the  pupa  works  its  way  to  the 
surface,  before  liberating  the  included  fly;  and  when  the  insect 
has  taken  wing,  its  empty  pupa-skin  will  be  seen  sticking  out 
of  the  ground.  In  other  cases,  the  fly  issues  from  its  pupa- 
skin  in  the  earth,  and  comes  to  the  surface  with  flabby  wings, 
which  soon  expand  and  dry  on  exposure  to  the  air.  This  last 
change  occurs  mostly  during  the  months  of  June  and  July, 
when  great  numbers  of  the  flies  have  been  seen,  apparently 
coming  from  the  ground,  in  fields  where  grain  was  raised  the 
year  before.  Some  persons  have  stated  that  the  insects  are 
transformed  to  flies  in  the  ears  of  the  grain,  having  probably 
mistaken  the  cast-skins  of  the  maggots  found  therein  for  the 
shells  of  the  chrysalis  or  pupa. 

Several  cases  of  the  efficacy  of  fumigation  in  preventing 
the  depredations  of  these  insects  are  recorded  in  our  agricul- 

*  •'  New  England  Farmer,"  Vol.  XVI.,  p.  Gl. 


480  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

tural  papers.*  For  this  purpose  brimstone  has  been  used,  in 
the  proportion  of  one  pound  to  every  bushel  of  seed  sown. 
Strips  of  woollen  cloth,  dipped  in  melted  brimstone,  and  fast- 
ened to  sticks  in  different  parts  of  the  field,  and  particularly 
on  the  windward  side,  are  set  on  fire,  for  several  evenings  in 
succession,  at  the  time  when  the  grain  is  in  blossom;  the 
smoke  and  fumes  thus  penetrate  the  standing  grain,  and  prove 
very  offensive  or  destructive  to  the  flies,  which  are  laying  their 
eggs.  A  thick  smoke  from  heaps  of  burning  weeds,  sprinkled 
with  brimstone,  around  the  sides  of  the  field,  has  also  been 
recommended.  Lime  or  ashes,  strown  over  the  grain  w^hen 
in  blossom,  has,  in  some  cases,  appeared  to  protect  the  crop; 
and  the  Rev.  Henry  Colman,  the  Commissioner  for  the  Agri- 
cultural Survey  of  Massachusetts,  says  that  this  preventive,  if 
not  infallible,  may  be  relied  on  with  strong  confidence.!  For 
every  acre  of  grain,  from  one  peck  to  a  bushel  of  newly  slacked 
lime  or  of  good  wood  ashes  will  be  required;  and  this  should 
be  scattered  over  the  plants  when  they  are  wet  with  dew  or 
rain.  Two  or  three  applications  of  it  have  sometimes  been 
found  necessary.  Whether  it  be  possible  to  destroy  the  mag- 
gots after  they  have  left  the  grain,  and  have  betaken  them- 
selves to  their  winter  quarters,  just  below  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  remains  to  be  proved.  Some  persons  have  advised 
ploughing  up  the  ground,  soon  after  the  grain  is  harvested,  in 
order  to  kill  the  maggots,  or  to  bury  them  so  deeply  that  they 
could  not  make  their  escape  when  transformed  to  flies.  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  deep  ploughing  will  prove  to  be  the  best 
and  most  practicable  remedy.  Perhaps  thoroughly  liming  the 
soil  before  it  is  ploughed,  may  contribute  to  the  destruction  of 
the  insects.  The  chaff,  dust,  and  refuse  straw  should  be  care- 
fully examined,  and,  if  found  to  contain  any  of  the  maggots, 
should  be  immediately  burnt.  It  is  stated  that  our  crops  may 
be  saved  from  injury  by  sowing  early  in  the  autumn  or  late  in 
the  spring.  By  the  first,  it  is  supposed  that  the  grain  will 
become  hard  before  many  of  the  flies  make  their  appearance ; 


*  Among  others,  sec  "The  Cultivator,"  Vol.  V.,  p.  136. 

t  "ThLrd  Report  on  the  Agriculture  of  Massachusetts,"  p.  67. 


DIPTERA.  481 

and  by  the  latter,  the  plants  will  not  come  into  blossom  until 
the  flies  have  disappeared.  In  those  parts  of  New  England 
where  these  insects  have  done  the  greatest  injury,  the  cultiva- 
tion of  fall-sown  or  winter  grain  has  been  given  up;  and  this, 
for  some  years  to  come,  will  be  found  the  safest  course.  The 
proper  time  for  sowing  in  the  spring  will  vary  with  the  latitude 
and  elevation  of  the  place,  and  the  forwardness  of  the  season. 
From  numerovis  observations,  made  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try, it  appears  that  grain  sown  after  the  fifteenth  or  twentieth 
of  May  generally  escapes  the  ravages  of  these  destructive 
insects.  Late  sowing  has  almost  entirely  banished  the  wheat- 
flies  from  those  parts  of  Vermont  where  they  first  appeared; 
and  there  is  good  reason  to  expect  that  these  depredators  will 
be  completely  starved  out  and  exterminated,  when  the  means 
above  recommended  have  been  generally  adopted  and  perse- 
vered in,  for  several  years  in  succession. 

In  the  introductory  chapter*  a  short  account  has  already 
been  given  of  the  habits  of  the  various  kinds  of  gnats  and 
flies,  belonging  to  the  principal  families  of  this  order.  Besides 
the  species  that  are  injurious  to  vegetation,  which  have  been 
now  described,  there  still  remain  some  of  our  native  flies,  that 
deserve  a  passing  notice,  on  account  of  their  size,  or  of  pecu- 
liarities in  their  forms,  structure,  and  habits,  although  few  of 
them  are  to  be  included  among  the  insects  which  are  hurtful 
to  plants. 

Among  our  long-legged  gnats  there  is  no  one  more  singular 
in  its  appearance  and  graceful  in  its  motions  than  the  Ptycho- 
ptera  clavipes,  of  Fabricius,  or  club-footed  Ptychoptera.  A 
new  genus,  called  Bittacomorpha,  on  account  of  the  fancied 
resemblance  of  this  insect  to  the  Neuropterous  genus  Bittacus, 
has  lately  been  made  for  its  reception,  by  Mr.  Westwood.f 
This  pretty  gnat  is  of  a  black  color,  with  a  broad,  white  stripe 
on  the  face,  a  short,  white  line  on  the  fore  part  of  the  thorax, 
and  three  broad,  white  rings  on  the  legs.  The  sides  of  the 
thorax  are  silvery  white,  and  the  hind  body  is  dusky  brown, 
with  a  narrow  white  line  on  the  edges  of  each  of  the  rings. 

*  Page  13.        t  "Philosophical Magazine,"  Vol.  VI.,  p.  281.    Lond.  1835. 

61 


482  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

The  head  is  small,  and  almost  hidden  under  the  thick  and 
hunched  thorax ;  the  antennae  are  many-jointed,  slender,  and 
tapering;  the  hind  body  is  long,  narrow,  and  somewhat  flat- 
tened; the  legs  are  very  slender  next  to  the  body,  and  increase 
in  thickness  towards  the  end,  and  the  first  joint  of  the  feet  is 
swollen,  oblong  oval,  and  very  downy.  The  length  of  the 
body  is  about  half  an  inch,  and  the  wings  expand  nearly  three 
quarters  of  an  inch.  It  appears  in  July,  and  takes  wing  by 
day.  As  it  flies  slowly  along,  it  seems  almost  to  tread  the 
air,  balancing  itself  horizontally  with  its  long  legs,  which  are 
stretched  out,  like  rays,  from  the  sides  of  its  body. 

There  are  exceptions  to  almost  all  general  rules.  Thus  we 
find,  among  Dipterous  insects,  some  kinds  that  never  have 
wings.  One  of  these  is  the  thick-legged  snow-gnat,  or  Chionea 
valga.  This  singular  insect  looks  more  like  a  spider  than  a 
gnat.  Its  body  is  rather  less  than  one  fourth  of  an  inch  long, 
and  is  of  a  brownish  yellow  or  nankin  color.  The  legs  are 
rather  paler,  and  are  covered  with  short  hairs.  The  head  is 
small  and  hairy.  The  first  two  joints  of  the  antennae  are 
thick,  the  others  slender  and  tapering,  and  beset  with  hairs. 
Although  the  wings  are  wanting,  there  is  a  pale  yellow  poiser 
on  each  side  of  the  hinder  part  of  the  thorax.  The  hindmost 
thighs  are  very  thick,  and  somewhat  bowed,  in  the  males, 
which  suggested  the  name  of  valga,  or  bow-legged,  given  to 
the  insect  in  my  "  Catalogue."  The  body  of  the  female  ends 
with  a  sword-shaped  borer,  resembling  that  of  a  grasshopper. 
These  wingless  gnats  live  on  the  ground,  and  the  females  bore 
into  it  to  lay  their  eggs.  They  are  not  common  here.  Mr. 
Gosse  found  considerable  numbers  of  them  in  Canada,  crawl- 
ing on  the  snow,  in  pine  woods,  during  the  month  of  March.* 

Travellers  and  new  settlers,  in  some  parts  of  New  England 
and  Canada,  are  very  much  molested  by  a  small  gnat,  called 
the  black  fly  [Slmidiuni  molestton),  swarms  of  which  fill  the  air 
during  the  month  of  June.  Every  bite  that  they  make  draws 
blood,  and  is  followed  by  an  inflammation  and  swelling  which 
last  several  days.     These  little  tormentors  are  of  a  black  color; 

*  "  Canadian  Naturalist,"  p.  61. 


DIPTERA. 

their  wings  are  transparent;  and  their  legs  are  short,  and  have 
a  broad  whitish  ring  around  them.  The  length  of  their  body 
rarely  exceeds  one  tenth  of  an  inch.  They  begin  to  appear 
in  May,  and  continue  about  sLx  weeks,  after  which  they  are  no 
more  seen.  They  are  followed,  however,  by  swarms  of  midges, 
or  sand-flies  (Simulium  nocivum),  called  no-see-'em,  by  the  In- 
dians of  Maine,  on  account  of  their  minuteness.  So  small 
are  they,  that  they  would  hardly  be  perceived,  were  it  not  for 
their  wings,  which  are  of  a  whitish  color,  mottled  with  black. 
Towards  evening  these  winged  atoms  come  forth,  and  creep 
under  the  clothes  of  the  inhabitants,  and  by  their  bites  produce 
an  intolerable  irritation,  and  a  momentary  smarting,  compared* 
to  that  caused  by  sparks  of  fire.  They  do  not  draw  blood, 
and  no  swelling  follows  their  attacks.  They  are  most  trouble- 
some during  the  months  of  July  and  August. 

The  most  common  of  our  large  gad-flies,  or  horse-flies,  ap- 
pears to  be  the  Tabanus  atratns,  of  Fabricius.  It  is  of  a  black 
color,  and  the  back  is  covered  with  a  whitish  bloom,  like  a 
plum.  The  eyes  are  very  large,  and  almost  meet  on  the  top 
of  the  head;  they  are  of  a  shining  purple-black  or  bronzed 
black  color,  with  a  narrow  jet  black  band  across  the  middle, 
and  a  broad  band  of  the  same  hue  on  the  lower  part.  The 
body  of  this  fly  is  seven  eighths  of  an  inch  or  more  in  length, 
and  the  wings  expand  nearly  two  inches.  The  Tabanus  cinc- 
tus,  of  Fabricius,  or  orange-belted  horse-fly,  is  not  so  common, 
and  is  rather  smaller.  It  is  also  black,  except  the  first  three 
rings  of  the  hind  body,  which  are  orange-colored.  The  most 
common  of  our  smaller  horse-flies  is  the  Tabanus  lineola,  so 
named,  by  Fabricius,  because  it  has  a  whitish  line  along  the 
top  of  the  hind  body.  Besides  these  flies,  we  have  several 
more  kinds  of  Tabanus,  some  of  which  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  described.  These  blood-thirsty  insects  begin  to  appear 
towards  the  end  of  June,  and  continue  through  the  summer, 
sorely  tormenting  both  horses  and  cattle  with  their  sharp  bites. 
Their  proboscis,  though  not  usuaUy  very  long,  is  armed  with 
six  stiff,  and  exceedingly  sharp  needles,  wherewith  they  easily 


•  See  Gosse's  "  Canadian  Naturalist,"  p.  100. 


484  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

pierce  through  the  toughest  hide.  It  is  stated  that  they  will 
not  touch  a  horse  whose  back  has  been  well  washed  with  a 
strong  decoction  of  walnut  leaves.  The  eyes  of  these  flies  are 
very  beautiful,  and  vary  in  their  colors  and  markings  in  the 
different  species. 

The  golden-eyed  forest-flies  are  also  distinguished  for  the 
brilliancy  of  their  spotted  eyes,  and  for  their  clouded  or  banded 
wings.  They  are  much  smaller  than  the  horse-flies,  but  re- 
semble them  in  their  habits.  Some  of  them  are  entirely  black 
{Chrysops  ferrngatus,  Fabricius),  others  are  striped  with  black 
and  yellow  {Chrysops  vittatus,  Wiedemann).  They  frequent 
woods  and  thickets,  in  July  and  August. 

The  bee-flies,  or  Bombylians  (BoMBYLiADiE),  have  a  very 
slender  proboscis,  sometimes  exceeding  the  length  of  their 
body.  They  are  met  with  in  sunny  paths  in  the  woods,  in 
April  and  May.  They  fly  with  great  swiftness,  stop  suddenly 
every  little  while,  and,  balancing  themselves  with  their  long, 
horizontally  spread  wings,  seem  to  hang  suspended  in  the  air. 
They  often  hover,  in  this  way,  over  the  early  flowers,  sucking 
out  the  honey  thereof,  like  humming-birds,  with  their  long  bills. 
Our  largest  bee-fly  is  the  Bombylius  (cqualis,  so  named  by  Fa- 
bricius, because  the  wings  are  divided  lengthwise,  in  their 
color,  into  two  equal  parts,  the  outer  part  being  brownish 
black,  and  the  inner  half  colorless  and  transparent.  The  body 
of  this  insect  is  short,  rounded,  and  covered  with  yellowish 
hairs,  like  a  humble-bee.  It  measures  three  eighths  of  an  inch 
in  length,  and  the  Avings  expand  rather  more  than  seven  eighths 
of  an  inch. 

There  are  some  flies  that  prey  on  other  insects,  catching 
them  on  the  wing  or  on  plants,  and  sucking  out  their  juices. 
Some  of  them  have  thick  and  hairy  bodies  and  legs,  and  bear 
a  striking  resemblance  to  our  biggest  humble-bees.  Such  are 
the  Laphria  t/ioracica,  of  Fabricius,  which  is  black,  with  yellow 
hairs  on  the  top  of  the  thorax,  and  measures  eight  or  nine 
tenths  of  an  inch  in  length ;  another  species,  which  may  be 
called  Laphria  Jiavibarbis,  differing  from  the  former  in  having 
the  face  and  sides  of  the  head  covered  with  a  yellow  beard, 
and  in  being  an  inch  or  more  long;  and  the  Laphria  tergissa., 


DIPTERA.  485 

of  Say,  which  is  somewhat  like  the  last,  but  has  yellow  hairs 
on  the  three  middle  segments  of  the  hind  body,  and  on  the 
shanks  of  the  anterior  and  middle  pairs  of  legs,  and  measures 
about  an  inch  in  length.  These  insects  belong  to  a  family 
called  AsiLiDJE,  from  Asilus,  the  principal  genus.  In  the  larva 
state,  those  of  the  Asilians,  whose  habits  are  known,  live  in 
the  ground  upon  the  roots  of  plants,  and  sometimes  do  con- 
siderable mischief,  as  proved  to  be  the  case  wnth  some  that 
were  sent  to  me  last  May,  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hill,  of  Wal- 
tham,  who  found  them  devouring  the  roots  of  the  tart  rhubarb. 
They  were  yellowish  white  maggots,  about  three  quarters  of 
an  inch  long,  not  perfectly  cylindrical,  but  a  little  depressed, 
and  tapering  at  each  end.  The  head  was  small,  brown,  and 
partially  drawn  within  the  first  ring,  and  was  provided  with 
two  little  horny  brown  hooks.  There  was  a  pair  of  breathing- 
pores  on  the  first  ring,  and  another  pair  on  the  last  but  one. 
These  maggots  were  transformed  in  the  earth  to  naked  pupae, 
having  the  limbs  free.  The  pupa  was  brown,  and  had  a  pair 
of  short  horns  on  the  forehead,  three  spines  on  each  side  of  the 
head,  a  forked  tail,  and  a  transverse  row  of  little  teeth  across 
the  middle  of  each  ring  of  the  hind  body.  When  about  to 
undergo  their  last  transformation,  the  pupse  work  their  w^ay  to 
the  surface  of  the  ground  by  the  help  of  the  little  teeth  on 
their  rings.  I  have  repeatedly  seen  the  empty  pupa-shells 
sticking  half  way  out  of  the  ground  around  rhubarb  plants. 
In  the  fore  part  of  July,  there  issued  from  these  pupse  some 
long-bodied  flies,  which  proved  to  be  of  the  species  called 
Asilus  sericeus,  by  Mr.  Say.  The  body  of  this  insect  is  slen- 
der and  tapering,  and  measures  from  eight  tenths  of  an  inch  to 
one  inch  and  one  tenth  in  length.  It  is  of  a  brownish  yellow 
color,  covered  with  a  short  silky  down,  varying  in  different 
lights  from  golden  yellow  to  brown,  and  with  a  broad  brown 
stripe  on  the  top  of  the  thorax.  The  wings  are  smoky  brown, 
with  broad  brownish  yellow  veins,  and  expand  one  inch  and  a 
quarter,  or  more.  We  have  several  other  kinds  of  Asilus,  some 
larger,  and  others  smaller  than  the  foregoing,  of  whose  history 
nothing  is  known,  except  their  predaceous  habits  in  the  winged 
state,  which  have  been  often  observed.     There  are  also  several 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

slender  kinds  of  Laphria;  but  these  are  easily  distinguished 
from  every  species  of  Asilus  by  their  antennae,  which  are  not, 
as  in  the  latter,  tipped  with  a  slender  point,  but  are  blunt  at 
the  end. 

Besides  the  foregoing,  there  are  many  other  rapacious  flies, 
some  of  which  are  of  great  size.  The  largest  one  found  here 
is  the  orange-banded  Midas  {Midas  JUatns*),  specimens  of 
which  are  sometimes  found  measuring  an  inch  and  a  quarter 
in  length,  with  wings  expanding  two  inches  and  a  quarter.  It 
is  black,  with  an  orange-colored  band  on  the  second  ring  of 
the  hind  body;  and  the  wings  are  smoky  brown,  with  a  metal- 
lic lustre.  It  receives  its  scientific  name,  filatus,  signifying 
threadlike,  from  its  antennse,  which  are  long  and  slender,  but 
they  end  with  an  oblong  oval  knob.  Its  generical  name  was 
also  given  to  it  on  account  of  its  long  antennsB ;  Midas,  in 
Mythology,  being  the  name  of  a  person  fabled  to  have  had  the 
long  ears  of  an  ass.  The  orange-banded  Midas  may  often  be 
seen  flying  in  the  woods  in  July  and  August,  or  resting  and 
basking  in  the  sun  upon  fallen  trees.  Its  transformations  have 
never  been  described.  Its  larva  and  pupa  almost  exactly  re- 
semble those  of  the  rapacious  Asilians.  The  larva  is  a  cylin- 
drical, whitish  maggot,  tapering  before,  and  almost  rounded 
behind;  it  has  only  two  breathing-holes,  which  are  placed  in 
the  last  ring  but  one;  and  it  grows  to  the  length  of  two  inches. 
It  lives  and  undergoes  its  transformations  in  decayed  logs  and 
stumps.  The  pupa  measures  about  an  inch  and  a  quarter  in 
length;  it  is  of  a  brown  color,  and  nearly  cylindrical  shape; 
its  tail  is  forked;  there  are  eight  thorns  on  the  fore  part  of  its 
body;  and  each  ring  of  the  abdomen  is  edged  with  numerous 
sharp  teeth,  like  a  saw,  all  these  teeth  pointing  backwards 
except  those  on  the  back  of  the  first  ring,  which  are  directed 
forwards.  The  pupa  pushes  itself  half  way  out  of  the  stump 
when  the  fly  is  about  to  come  forth,  and  the  latter  makes  its 
escape  by  splitting  open  the  back  of  the  pupa-skin. 

In  the  month  of  June,  there  may  sometimes  be  seen,  resting 
on  the  grass  or  on  rotten  stumps,  in  open  woods,  a  large,  light- 

*  Incorrectly  named  Mydas  Jilaia,  by  Fabricius. 


DIPTERA.  487 

brown  or  drab-colored  fly,  somewhat  like  a  horse-fly  in  form, 
but  easily  distinguished  therefrom  by  two  little  thorns  on  the 
hinder  part  of  the  thorax;  and  by  the  wings,  which  do  not 
spread  so  much  when  the  insect  is  at  rest.  It  is  heavy  and 
sluggish  in  its  motions,  and  does  not  attempt  to  fly  away  when 
approached.  This  insect  was  called  Ccenomyia  pallida,  the  pale 
Coenomyia,  by  ]VIr.  Say,  in  the  Appendix  to  Keating's  "  Narra- 
tive," and  in  the  second  volume  of  the  "  American  Entomolo- 
gy," where  it  is  figured.  The  generical  name,  signifying  a 
common  fly,  is  rather  unfortunate,  for  this  is  a  rare  insect. 
The  only  specimens  known  to  Mr.  Say  were  found  by  him  in  a 
small  forest  of  scattered  trees,  on  the  Pecktannos  river,  in  Wis- 
consin Territory.  A  few  have  been  taken  in  JMassachusetts, 
one  of  them  on  Blue  Hill,  in  Milton ;  and  Mr.  Gosse  found 
three  specimens,  in  as  many  years,  in  Canada.  In  its  trans- 
formations this  insect  is  more  nearly  related  to  the  gad-flies 
and  the  Asilians  than  to  the  soldier-flies,  near  which  it  has 
generally  been  placed ;  though  it  approaches  the  latter  in  its 
structure,  and  in  its  sluggish  habits.  The  larvae  or  maggots, 
though  not  yet  discovered,  undoubtedly  live  in  the  ground,  or 
in  decayed  vegetable  substances,  like  those  of  the  horse-flies 
and  other  predatory  insects;  for  Mr.  Gosse  found  one  of  his 
specimens,  on  the  grass,  in  the  act  of  emerging  from  the  pupa- 
skin.  He  has  also  figured*  the  pupa,  which  is  of  a  chestnut- 
brown  color,  and  has  transverse  rows  of  spines  on  the  abdom- 
inal rings. 

Most  of  the  soldier-flies  (Stratiomyad^e)  are  armed  with 
two  thorns  or  sharp  spines  on  the  hinder  part  of  the  thorax. 
They  form  the  first  family  of  the  flies  that  undergo  their  trans- 
formations within  the  hardened  skin  of  the  larva,  which  is  not 
thrown  off  till  they  break  through  it  to  come  out  in  the  winged 
state.  Their  proboscis  contains,  at  most,  only  four  bristles,  is 
not  fitted  for  piercing,  but  ends  with  large  fleshy  lips,  by  means 
whereof  these  flies  suck  the  sweet  juices  of  flowers.  Most  of 
them  are  found  in  wet  places,  where  their  larvae  live ;  some  of 
the  latter  being  provided  with  a  tube,  in  the  hinder  extremity, 

*  "  Canadian  Naturalist,"  p.  199. 


488  INSECTS  IXJUmOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

which  they  thrust  out  of  the  water  in  order  to  breathe.  The 
skin  of  these  larvae  is  merely  shortened  a  little,  without  wholly 
losing  its  former  shape,  when  the  inclosed  insects  change  to 
pupae;  thereby  showing  that  this  family  is  truly  intermediate 
between  the  preceding  flies,  which  cast  off  their  larva-skins, 
and  those  which  retain  them,  and  take  an  oblong  oval  shape, 
when  they  become  pupae.  Some  of  the  soldier-flies  {Stratijo- 
mys)  have  a  broad  oval  body,  ornamented  with  yellow  triangles 
or  crescents  on  each  side  of  the  back,  and  their  antennae  are 
somewhat  like  those  of  Midas  and  of  the  gad-flies;  others  ( Sar- 
gus)  are  slender,  often  of  a  brilliant  brassy  green  color,  with  a 
bristle  on  the  tip  of  their  antennae.  The  maggots  of  the  latter 
live  in  rich  mould. 

The  Syrphians  (Syrphid.e)  have  a  fleshy,  large-lipped  pro- 
boscis, elbowed  near  the  base,  and  enclosing  only  four  slender 
bristles.  They  live  on  the  honey  of  flowers.  The  last  joint 
of  their  short  antennae  bears  a  bristle,  which  is  sometimes 
feathered.  Their  heads  are  large  and  hemispherical.  Many 
of  these  flies  are  often  mistaken  for  bees  or  wasps,  and  some 
of  them  lay  their  eggs  in  the  nests  of  the  insects  they  so  closely 
resemble.  Others  drop  their  eggs  among  plant-lice,  which 
their  young  afterwards  destroy  in  great  numbers.  The  larvae 
of  a  few  are  aquatic,  and  are  provided  with  very  long,  tubular 
tails,  through  which  they  breathe,  and  have  been  called  rat- 
tailed  maggots.  Some  of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  of 
these  flies  live,  in  the  maggot  state,  in  rotten  wood.  One  of 
these  rat-tailed  flies  is  often  seen  on  windows,  in  the  autumn. 
It  flies  with  a  buzzing  noise.  Its  eyes  are  very  large,  and  of  a 
bright  copper-color;  its  body  is  brassy  green;  and  there  are 
five  gray  stripes  on  the  thorax.  It  measures  about  four  tenths 
of  an  inch  in  length.  It  is  the  Eristalis  sincerus  of  my  "  Cat- 
alogue." The  Milesia  excentrica,  named  in  the  same  work, 
strikingly  resembles  a  hornet;  its  hind  body  being  banded 
with  black  and  yellow  in  the  same  way.  Its  head  and  thorax 
are  black,  the  former  margined  around  the  eyes,  and  the  latter 
spotted,  with  yellowish  white.  The  legs  are  ochre-yellow, 
except  the  shanks  and  feet  of  the  first  pair,  which  are  black. 
Its  body  measures  nearly  three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  length. 


DIPTERA.  489 

My  Sphecomyia  undata  has  the  slender  form  of  a  Sphcx  or 
mud-wasp.  It  is  of  a  light  brown  color,  darker  on  the  back, 
and  on  the  middle  of  the  thighs  and  shanks;  its  head  is  coni- 
cal, and  bears  the  antennae  on  the  tip  of  the  cone ;  its  wings 
are  brown  on  the  outer  part,  with  a  small  transparent  spot 
near  the  edge,  and  the  inner  part  is  transparent  in  two  large 
wavy  spaces.  It  is  about  five  eighths  of  an  inch  long,  and  its 
wings  expand  one  inch  and  a  quarter,  or  more.  It  is  possible 
that  this  singular  fly  may  be  the  Pi/rg-ota  undata  of  Wiede- 
mann. An  insect,  closely  resembling  it,  is  figured  in  Griffith's 
translation  of  Cuvier's  "  Animal  Kingdom,*'  under  the  name 
of  Myopa  nigripennis.  It  is  found  on  fences  around  gardens 
in  May  and  June.  It  sits  with  its  wings  half  spread,  moves 
slowly,  and  flies  heavily-  My  Sphecomyia  valida,  though  rather 
shorter  than  the  preceding,  has  a  thicker  body.  Its  color  is 
brownish  yellow,  and  it  is  striped  with  brown.  The  wings 
are  transparent,  and  are  mottled  with  small,  dusky  spots. 

Some  of  the  Conopians  {Conopidcc)  still  more  closely  re- 
semble slender-bodied  wasps  than  the  preceding  Sphex-flies. 
Coriops  sagittaria,  of  Say,  {nigricornis,  Wiedemann)  might 
almost  be  mistaken  for  a  species  of  Eumenes.  Its  hind  body 
is  very  slender  and  cylindrical  next  to  the  thorax,  and  swells 
out  behind.  Its  antennae  are  long,  and  thickened  towards  the 
end.  Its  proboscis  is  very  long  and  slender,  elbowed  at  the 
base,  and  extends  far  beyond  the  head.  This  fly  is  of  a  black 
color;  the  rings  of  the  hind  body  are  edged  with  white;  the 
face  is  yellow;  the  legs  are  brownish  yellow,  shaded  with 
black  on  the  thighs;  and  the  wings  are  black,  with  two  un- 
colored  and  wavy  spaces  on  the  inner  margin.  Its  body  is 
five  eighths  of  an  inch  long,  and  its  wings  expand  rather  more 
than  three  quarters  of  an  inch.  This  fly  may  be  found  suck- 
ing the  honey  of  flowers  in  June  and  July.  The  Greeks  gave 
the  name  of  Conops  to  some  stinging  fly  or  gnat.  The  Cono- 
pians undergo  their  transformations  in  the  bodies  of  humble- 
bees,  their  young  subsisting  on  the  fat  contained  within  the 
abdomen  of  their  luckless  victims. 

A  host  of  flies,  forming  nearly  one  third  of  the  whole  num- 
ber of  species  in  the  order  Diptera,  will  be  found  to  have  a 
62 


406  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

short  and  soft  proboscis,  ending  with  large  fleshy  lips,  enclosing 
only  two  bristles,  and  capable  of  being  drawn  up  within  the 
cavity  of  the  mouth.  Their  antennae  are  generally  short,  hang 
down  over  the  face,  and  end  with  a  large  oval  joint,  bearing  a 
little  bristle.  Their  larva3,  or  young,  are  fleshy,  whitish  mag- 
gots, which  never  cast  their  skins,  but  when  the  pupa-state 
comes  on,  shorten,  take  the  oblong  oval  form  of  an  egg,  and 
become  brown,  dry,  and  hard  on  the  outside.  This  immense 
tribe  includes  the  various  kinds  of  flesh-flies,  blow-flies,  house- 
flies,  dung-flies,  flower-flies,  fruit-flies,  two-winged  gall-flies, 
cheese-flies,  and  many  others,  for  which  we  have  no  common 
names,  but  all  composing  the  tribe  of  Muscans,  or  Muscad^e. 
Some  of  these  flies  do  not  strictly  conform  to  the  foregoing 
characters  of  the  tribe,  in  all  respects ;  but  the  exceptions  are 
few  in  number,  and  the  most  remarkable  of  them  will  be  no- 
ticed in  the  following  pages. 

Many  flies  of  this  tribe  are  parasitic  in  their  larv'a  state,  their 
young  living  and  undergoing  their  transformations  within  the 
bodies  of  other  insects,  particularly  in  caterpillars,  which  they 
thereby  destroy.  These  flies  belong  chiefly  to  the  family  of 
Tachinad.e,  a  name  applied  to  them  on  account  of  the  swift- 
ness of  their  flight.  In  form  they  somewhat  resemble  house- 
flies;  like  them  they  have  very  large  winglets,  and  their  wings 
spread  apart  when  they  are  at  rest.  They  are  easily  distin- 
guished, however,  by  the  stiff"  hairs  wherewith  they  are  more 
or  less  covered,  and  by  the  bristles  on  their  antenna?,  which 
are  not  usually  feathered.  A  large  fly  of  this  kind,  the  Ta- 
chiria  vivida  of  my  "  Catalogue,"  is  often  seen  on  fences,  and 
on  plants,  and  sometimes  in  houses,  towards  the  end  of  June 
and  during  the  month  of  July.  Its  large,  oval  hind  body  is  of 
a  clear  and  light  red  color,  with  two  or  three  black  spots,  in  a 
row,  on  the  top  of  it,  and  a  thick  row  of  black  bristles  across 
each  ring.  The  face  is  grayish  white,  like  satin,  and  the  eyes 
are  copper-colored.  The  thorax  is  gray,  with  brownish  lines 
upon  it.  The  antennre,  proboscis,  and  legs  are  light  red.  Its 
body  is  short  and  thick,  and  is  about  half  an  inch  long,  and 
its  wings  expand  rather  more  than  nine  tenths  of  an  inch. 

Most  insects  are  hatched  from  eggs  which  are  laid  by  the 


DIPTERA.  491 

mother  on  the  substances  that  are  to  serve  for  the  food  of  her 
young.  Some  flesh-flies  produce  their  young  alive,  or  ahready 
hatched,  and  drop  them  on  the  dead  and  putrefying  animal 
matter,  which  they  are  to  consume  and  remove  in  the  shortest 
possible  time.  An  exception  from  the  usual  course  among 
insects  appears  therefore  to  have  been  made  in  favor  of  these 
viviparous  flesh-flies,  to  enable  their  young  promptly  to  per- 
form their  appointed  tasks.  These  insects  produce  an  immense 
number  of  young,  as  many  as  twenty  thousand  having  been 
observed  by  Reaumur  in  a  single  fly.*  Our  largest  viviparous 
flesh-fly  is  the  Sarcophaga  Georgina  of  Wiedemann.  It  ap- 
pears towards  the  end  of  June,  and  continues  till  the  middle 
of  August,  or  perhaps  later.  Its  face  is  silvery  white,  and 
there  is  an  oblong  square  black  spot  between  the  eyes,  which 
are  copper-colored.  The  thorax  is  light  gray,  with  seven  black 
sti-ipes  upon  it.  The  hind  body  is  nearly  conical,  has  the  lus- 
tre of  satin,  and  is  checkered  with  square  spots  of  black  and 
white,  shifting  or  interchanging  their  colors  according  to  the 
light  wherein  they  are  seen.  The  legs  are  black,  and  the  hind- 
most pair  are  very  hairy  in  the  males.  The  female  is  about 
half  an  inch  long;  the  male  is  rather  smaller.  In  the  Sarcopha- 
gans,  or  flesh-eaters,  as  the  name  implies,  the  bristles  on  the 
antennae  are  feathered. 

The  flies  that  abound  in  stables  in  August  and  September, 
and  sometimes  enter  houses  on  the  approach  of  rain,  might  be 
mistaken  for  house-flies,  were  it  not  for  the  severity  of  their 
bites,  which  are  often  felt  through  our  clothing,  and  are  gen- 
erally followed  by  blood.  Upon  examination  they  will  be 
found  to  difler  essentially  from  house-flies  in  their  proboscis, 
which  is  very  long  and  slender,  and  projects  horizontally  be- 
yond the  head.  The  bristles  on  their  antennas  are  feathered 
above.  Cattle  suffer  sorely  from  the  piercing  bites  of  these 
flies,  and  horses  are  sometimes  so  much  tormented  and  enraged 
by  them  as  to  become  entirely  ungovernable  in  harness.  The 
name  of  this  kind  of  fly  is  filomoxy&  calcitrans ;  the  first  word 
signifying  sharp-mouthed,  and  the  second  kicking,  given  to  the 

*  '•  Memoires,"  Vol.  IV.,  p.  417. 


4S^  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

fly  from  the  effect  it  produces  on  horses.  It  lays  its  eggs  in 
dung,  where  its  young  are  hatched,  and  pass  through  their 
transformations.  The  larvae  and  pupae  do  not  differ  much  in 
appearance  from  those  of  common  house-flies. 

The  next  three  flies  have  feathered  bristles  on  their  antennae. 
The  first  of  them,  a  large,  buzzing,  and  stinking  meat-fly, 
named  Miism  ( Calliphora)  vomitoria,  is  of  a  blue-black  color, 
with  a  broad,  dark  blue,  and  hairy  hind  body.  It  is  found  all 
summer  about  slaughter-houses,  butchers'  stalls,  and  pantries, 
which  it  frequents  for  the  purpose  of  laying  its  eggs  on  meat. 
The  eggs  are  commonly  called  fly-blows;  they  hatch  in  two  or 
three  hours  after  they  are  laid,  and  the  maggots  produced  from 
them  come  to  their  growth  in  three  or  four  days,  after  which 
they  creep  away  into  some  dark  crevice,  or  burrow  in  the 
ground,  if  they  can  get  at  it,  turn  to  egg-shaped  pupae,  and 
come  out  as  flies,  in  a  few  days  more;  or  they  remain  un- 
changed through  the  winter,  if  they  have  been  hatched  late 
in  the  summer.  A  smaller  fly,  of  a  brilliant  blue-green  color, 
with  black  legs,  also  lays  its  eggs  on  meat,  but  more  often  on 
dead  animals  in  the  fields.  It  seems  hardly  to  differ  from  the 
Masca  (Ly cilia)  Cccsar  of  Europe.  The  house-fly  of  this 
country  has  been  supposed  to  be  the  same  as  the  European 
Mi/sca  domestica;  but  I  cannot  satisfy  myself  on  this  point  for 
the  want  of  specimens  from  Europe.  It  is  possible  that  our 
sharp-biting  stable-flies,  the  meat-flies,  and  the  house-fly,  may 
really  be  distinct  species  from  those  which  are  found  in  Europe. 
Our  house-fly  is  the  Mitsca  Harpyia,  or  Harpy-fly,  of  my  "  Cat- 
alogue." It  begins  to  appear  in  houses  in  July,  becomes  ex- 
ceedingly abundant  in  September,  and  does  not  disappear  till 
killed  by  cold  weather.  It  is  probable  that,  like  the  domestic 
fly  of  Europe,  it  lays  its  eggs  in  dung,  in  which  its  larvae  live, 
and  pass  through  their  changes  of  form.  The  Americans  are 
accused  of  carelessness  in  regard  to  flies,  and  apparently  with 
some  reason.  But,  if  these  filthy,  dung-bred  creatures  swarm 
in  some  houses,  covering  every  article  of  food  by  day,  and 
absolutely  blackening  the  walls  by  night,  in  others  compara- 
tively few  are  found;  for  the  tidy  housekeeper  takes  care  not 
to  leave  food  of  any  kind  standing  about,  uncovered,  to  entice 


DIPTERA.  493 

them  in,  and  makes  a  business  of  driving  out  the  intruders  at 
least  once  a  day.  If  a  plateful  of  strong  green  tea,  well  sweet- 
ened, be  placed  in  an  outer  apartment  accessible  to  flies,  they 
will  taste  of  it,  and  be  killed  thereby,  as  surely  as  by  the  most 
approved  fly-poison.  In  the  first  volume  of  "  The  Transac- 
tions of  the  Entomological  Society  of  London,"  Mr.  Spence 
gives  an  account  of  a  mode  of  excluding  flies  from  apartments, 
which  has  been  tried  with  complete  success  in  England.  It 
consists  of  netting,  made  of  fine  worsted  or  thread,  in  large 
meshes,  or  of  threads  alone,  half  of  an  inch  or  more  apart, 
stretched  across  the  windows.  It  appears  that  the  flies  will 
not  attempt  to  pass  through  the  meshes,  or  between  the  threads, 
into  a  room  which  is  lighted  only  on  one  side ;  but  if  there  are 
windows  on  another  side  of  the  room  they  will  then  fly  through ; 
such  windows  should  therefore  be  darkened  with  shutters  or 
thick  curtains. 

The  Anthomyians,  or  flower-flies  (ANTHOMviADiE),  are  easily 
distinguished  from  the  preceding  flies,  which  they  otherwise 
resemble,  by  the  smaller  size  of  their  winglets,  and  by  the  mesh 
in  the  middle  of  their  wings,  which  is  long,  narrow,  and  open 
at  the  end.  They  are  smaller  insects  than  the  foregoing,  their 
flight  is  more  feeble,  their  wings,  when  at  rest,  do  not  spread 
so  much,  and  the  bristle  on  the  last  joint  of  their  antennae  is 
not  often  feathered.  Most  of  them  frequent  flowers,  and  are 
sometimes  seen  sporting  together,  in  large  swarms,  in  the  air, 
like  certain  kinds  of  gnats.  In  the  larva  state  some  of  them 
live  in  manure,  and  in  rotten  vegetable  substances;  others  are 
found  in  the  roots  of  living  plants,  such  as  onions,  radishes, 
turnips,  and  even  in  the  pulpy  parts  of  leaves  and  of  stems, 
which  they  devour.  The  latter  have  nearly  the  same  form  as 
the  maggots  of  common  flies;  some  of  the  former  are  shorter, 
flattened,  and  fringed  on  the  sides  with  feathery  hairs. 

Many  instances  are  recorded  of  these  fringed  maggots  having 
been  discharged  from  the  human  body.  They  are  supposed  to 
be  the  young  of  a  fly  named  Anthomyia  [Homalomyia)  scalaris* 


*  For  an  account  of  the  transformations  of  the  fly  of  privies,  with  figures,  see 
Swammerdam's  "Book  of  Nature,"  translated  by  Hill,  Part  II.,  p.  38,  plate  38. 


494  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

Flies  closely  resembling  this  are  sometimes  seen  in  privies,  and 
a  friend  has  presented  me  with  one  of  them,  together  with  the 
dried  larva-skin  out  of  which  it  came.  The  larva  was  found 
in  excrement.  The  fly  is  grayish  black,  and  hairy,  with  large 
copper-colored  eyes,  which  are  surrounded  by  a  narrow  silvery 
white  line.  It  measures  one  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length.  The 
larva-skin  has  two  rows  of  hairs  on  the  back,  and  two  more 
on  each  side.  Another  fly,  sometimes  seen  on  windows  in  the 
autumn,  is  produced,  if  I  mistake  not,  from  a  hairy  maggot 
that  lives  in  rotten  turnips.  This  fly  strikingly  resembles  the 
Anthomyia  canicularis  of  Europe,  and  is  possibly  identical  with 
it.  It  is  of  a  dark  gray  color,  with  copper-colored  eyes,  encir- 
cled by  a  silvery  white  line,  and  with  a  large,  semitransparent, 
yellowish  spot  on  each  side  of  the  first  three  rings  of  the  hind 
body.  It  measures  rather  less  than  one  quarter  of  an  inch  in 
length.  The  fringed  maggots  of  the  canicularis  are  stated  by 
some  naturalists  to  have  been  obtained  from  the  human  body. 
It  is  not  impossible  that  they  may  have  been  swallowed  with 
turnips,  or  other  vegetables,  eaten  when  going  to  decay. 

Radishes,  while  growing,  are  very  apt  to  be  attacked  by 
maggots,  and  rendered  unfit  to  be  eaten.  These  maggots  are 
finally  transformed  to  small,  ash-colored  flies,  with  a  silvery 
gray  face,  copper-colored  eyes,  and  a  brown  spot  on  the  fore- 
head of  the  females;  they  have  some  faint  brownish  lines  on 
the  thorax,  and  a  longitudinal  black  line  on  the  hind  body, 
crossed  by  narrower  black  lines  on  the  edges  of  the  rings.  They 
vary  in  size,  but  usually  measure  rather  more  than  one  fifth  of 
an  inch  in  length.  They  finish  their  transformations,  and  appear 
above  ground,  towards  the  end  of  June.  The  radish-fly  is  called 
Anthomyia  Raphani,  in  my  "  Catalogue,"  from  the  botanical 
name  of  the  radish,  on  the  root  of  which  its  larvae  feed.  It 
closely  resembles  the  root-fly  [Anthomyia  radicum)  of  Europe. 

Onions,  soon  after  they  come  up  in  the  spring,  and  until  they 
are  grown  to  a  considerable  size,  are  often  observed  to  turn 
yellow  and  die.  Many  years  ago  I  remember  to  have  seen 
them  extensively  affected  in  this  way,  so  that  there  was  a  fail- 
ure of  three  fourths  of  the  plants  in  a  large  bed.  The  cause 
of  their  death  was  not  suspected  at  the  time,  and  no  examina- 


DIPTERA. 

tion  was  made  for  the  discovery  of  insects  in  them.  Since 
then,  I  have  been  favored  by  Mr.  Westwood  with  copies  of 
two  articles*  by  him,  on  the  onion-fly  {Anthomyia  Ceparum), 
which,  in  the  maggot  state,  lives  in  the  roots  of  onion  plants 
in  Europe,  and  causes  them  to  wither  and  perish  exactly  in 
the  same  way  as  young  onions  do  here.  Hence  there  is  good 
reason  to  believe  that  the  failure  of  our  onion  crop  is  caused 
by  the  ravages  of  maggots  similar  to  those  of  the  European 
onion-fly.  The  latter  lays  its  eggs  on  the  leaves  of  the  onion, 
close  to  the  earth,  so  that  the  maggots,  when  hatched,  readily 
make  their  way  to  the  heart  of  the  onion.  The  maggots  come 
to  their  growth  in  about  two  weeks,  turn  to  pupae  within  the 
onions,  and  come  out  as  flies  a  fortnight  afterwards.  We  have 
a  kind  of  fly,  corresponding  almost  exactly  with  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  onion-fly.  This  strengthens  my  belief  that  our 
onions  suffer  from  the  depredations  of  the  maggots  of  this  or 
of  a  similar  insect.  The  fly  to  which  I  allude  is  often  found 
on  windows  in  the  spring.  It  is  ash-colored,  with  black  hairs 
sparingly  scattered  on  its  body.  It  has  a  rust-colored  forked 
spot  on  the  top  of  its  head,  and  three  rust-red  lines  on  the 
thorax ;  and  the  wings  are  tinged  with  yellow  near  the  shoul- 
ders. It  measm-es  one  fourth  of  an  inch  in  length.  It  is  stated 
that  there  are  two  or  three  generations  of  the  European  onion- 
flies  during  the  summer,  and  that  the  late  broods  pass  the  win- 
ter in  the  pupa  state,  and  are  ready  to  burst  forth  at  the  first 
warmth  of  the  following  spring.  It  is  stated  that  the  onion 
crop  may  be  preserved  from  the  attacks  of  this  fly,  by  sowing 
the  seed  on  ground  upon  which  a  quantity  of  straw  has  been 
previously  burnt. 

The  peculiar  disease  that  has  affected  potatoes  within  the 
last  ten  years,  has  been  attributed,  by  many  persons,  to  the 
depredations  of  insects.  In  the  course  of  this  work,  several  of 
these  insects  have  been  described.  Another  is  now  to  be  added 
to  them,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  extract  from  a  letter, 
received  from  a  correspondent  in  July,  1851.     "  A  new  potato- 

*  See  the  "Magazine  of  Natural  History,"  Vol.  VII.,  p,  425,  and  the  "  Gar- 
dener's Magazine,"  Vol.  XIII.,  p.  241.  The  same  insect  is  also  described  and 
figured  in  Kollar's  "Treatise,"  p.  157. 


«% 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 


rot  theory  has  recently  appeared  in  Brattlcborongh,  Vermont. 
The  mischief  is  referred  to  a  fly,  of  which  an  authentic  speci- 
men is  enclosed.  It  is  said  that  the  species  first  appeared 
simultaneously  with  the  potato-rot;  and  the  flies  are  accused 
of  hovering  about  the  manure,  and  depositing  their  eggs,  so 
that  the  larvae  infect  the  potatoes."  The  specimen  proved  to 
be  a  common  dung-fly,  which  may  be  found  in  abundance 
upon  manure  when  carted  into  the  field  in  the  spring.  The 
male  is  easily  distinguished  from  other  flies  by  its  yellow  and 
very  hairy  hind  body  and  legs,  and  by  its  long  and  narrow 
wings.  It  is  about  half  as  large  as  a  honey-bee;  and  it 
measures,  from  the  face  to  the  tips  of  the  closed  wings,  from 
two  fiths  to  one  half  of  an  inch,  or  more.  The  females  are 
smaller,  olive-colored,  and  sparingly  clothed  with  short  whitish 
hairs,  with  legs  and  wings  like  those  of  the  male.  The  maggots 
or  young,  with  the  parent  insects,  live  wholly  upon  dung,  and 
are  innocent  of  any  injury  to  plants.  The  accusation  brought 
against  this  insect  entitles  it  to  notice  in  this  work,  and  to  the 
distinction  of  a  name  and  character  by  which  it  may  hereafter 
be  known.  It  may,  therefore,  be  called  Scatophaga  furcata* 
the  forked  dung-eater.  The  dung-flies,  or  Scatomyians  (Sca- 
TOMYZAD.*:),  in  some  of  their  characters,  resemble  the  flower- 
flies,  having  similar  wings,  and  very  small  winglets;  but  their 
eyes  are  wide  apart,  and  are  of  the  same  size  in  both  sexes. 
The  fly  in  question  keeps  its  body  remarkably  clean,  notwith- 
standing its  dirty  habits,  and  is  neither  offensive  to  the  eye  or 
to  the  smell.  The  general  color  of  the  male  is  a  bright  ochre- 
yellow.  The  antennsB  are  pale  red,  and  there  is  a  wide  forked 
red  s|;ot  on  the  top  of  the  head.  The  thorax  is  obscurely 
striped  with  brown  above,  and  is  lead-colored  below  the  scutel. 
The  hind  body  is  oblong  oval,  and  covered  with  long  ochre- 
yellow  hairs.  The  wings  are  ochre-yellow  at  the  base  and  on 
the  outer  margin ;  and  the  two  little  transverse  veins  upon  each 
of  them  are  very  conspicuous  from  their  dark  color  and  dusky 
borders.     The  legs  are  reddish  yellow,  and  covered  with  long 

*  Pyropa  furcata.  Say.  "  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,"  Vol.  III.,  p.  98.  To 
an  imperfect  specimen  of  this  insect,  Mr.  Say  gave  the  name  of  Scatophaga  pos- 
tilena,  which  it  bears  in  the  "  Catalogue  of  the  Insects  of  Massachusetts." 


DIPTERA.  497 

ochre-yellow  hairs,  intermixed  with  which  there  are  a  few 
black  bristles;  and  there  is  a  faint  blackish  line  on  the  top  of 
the  first  pair  of  thighs.  A  few  black  bristles  are  scattered  upon 
the  head  and  the  top  of  the  thorax.  The  bristle  of  the  an- 
tennee,  when  viewed  with  a  powerful  magnifier,  is  found  to  be 
covered  with  very  minute  hairs. 

Some  two-winged  flies  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  stems,  buds, 
and  leaves  of  plants,  thereby  producing  large  tumors  or  galls, 
wherein  their  young  reside.  Others  lay  their  eggs  in  fruits,  on 
the  pulp  of  which  their  maggots  live.  These  gall  and  fruit 
flies  belong  to  a  family  called  Ortalidians  (Ortalidid.e),  from 
a  word  signifying  to  flap  or  shake  the  wings ;  for  they  keep 
their  wings  in  motion  nearly  all  the  time,  jerking  them  up  and 
down,  and  twisting  them  round  so  that  the  thick  outer  edges 
often  come  together.  Some  of  them  are  in  the  habit  of  sud- 
denly raising  their  wings  perpendicularly  above  their  backs, 
and  running  along  a  few  steps  with  them  spread  like  the  tail  of 
a  peacock.  These  insects,  together  with  several  other  groups 
of  flies,  differ  from  all  the  foregoing  in  many  respects,  although 
they  agree  with  them  in  their  transformations.  The  forehead 
is  broad  in  both  sexes;  their  winglets  are  very  small  or  entirely 
wanting;  their  powers  of  flight  are  feeble;  and  they  are  rarely 
found  sporting  on  flowers  in  the  sunshine,  but  seem  generally 
to  prefer  shady  and  damp  places.  The  wings  of  the  Ortalidi- 
ans are  often  beautifully  variegated,  sti'iped,  or  spotted  with 
shades  of  brown  or  black.  The  hind  body  in  the  female  gen- 
erally ends  with  a  pointed  tube,  wherewith  the  eggs  are  depos- 
ited. The  little  white  maggots  often  found  in  over  ripe  whor- 
tleberries, raspberries,  cherries,  and  other  fruits,  are  the  young 
of  some  of  these  insects.  Swellings,  or  galls,  as  large  as  a 
walnut,  are  often  seen  on  the  stems  of  some  of  our  native 
Asters  or  starworts.  They  are  caused  by  the  punctures  of  a 
fly,  which  lays  its  eggs,  singly,  in  the  stem,  when  the  latter 
is  tender.  The  puncture  is  followed  by  a  spongy  swelling, 
wherein  the  maggot,  hatched  from  the  egg,  lives,  and  passes 
through  its  transformations.  The  insect  finally  comes  out  in 
the  fly  state,  through  a  small  hole  previously  made  in  the  gall 
by  the  maggot.  This  fly  may  be  called  the  gall-fly  of  the  star- 
63 


498  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

wort  (  Tephritis  Aster  is).  Its  body  is  about  one  fifth  of  an  inch 
long;  it  is  of  a  light  yellowish  brown  color,  with  paler  legs; 
the  wings  are  broad,  rounded  at  the  tip,  and  clouded  with  brown 
in  large  spots,  forming  three  wide,  irregular  bands  across  them. 
Many  of  the  smallest  flies,  belonging  to  several  other  groups, 
are  placed  near  the  end  of  the  order.  One  of  them  has  a  head 
like  a  hammer-headed  shark,  short  and  very  wide,  with  large 
globular  eyes  on  each  side  of  it.  This  little  insect  has  been 
found  in  considerable  numbers,  flying  near  the  ground,  on  the 
edges  of  banks.  It  is  the  Sphi/racephala  brevicornis  of  Mr. 
Say,  and  is  figured  and  described  in  the  third  volume  of  his 
"American  Entomology."  The  well-known  cheese-maggots 
are  the  young  of  a  fly  [Plophila  casei),  not  more  than  three 
twentieths  of  an  inch  long,  of  a  shining  black  color,  with  the 
middle  and  hinder  legs  mostly  yellowish,  and  the  wings  trans- 
parent like  glass.  Some  minute  flies,  belonging  to  a  family 
called  OsciNiD^,  are  found  to  be  very  injurious  to  wheat,  rye, 
and  barley,  in  Europe.  One  of  them  {Oscinis  frit),  a  shining 
black  fly,  with  yellowish  feet,  and  measuring  about  one  tenth 
of  an  inch  in  length,  lays  its  eggs  in  the  blossoms  of  barley, 
the  grains  of  which  afterwards  perish  in  consequence  of  the 
depredations  of  the  maggots  of  this  fly;  and  Linnaeus  states 
that  a  tenth  part  of  the  produce  of  the  barley  in  Sweden  is 
thereby  annually  destroyed.  The  larvae  or  maggots  of  Oscinis 
lineata,  Chlorops  piimilionis,  Chlorops  glabra,  and  otlicr  flies 
allied  to  them,  live  within  the  lower  part  of  the  stems  of  wheat, 
rye,  and  barley,  thereby  impoverishing  the  plants,  and  causing 
them  to  become  stinted  in  their  growth.  They  are  rather 
larger  insects  than  the  frit-fly,  and  they  have  black  and  yellow 
stripes  on  the  thorax.  It  is  highly  probable  that  some  of  these 
species,  or  other  Oscinians,  with  similar  habits,  may  be  found 
in  the  stems  of  wheat  and  other  grains  in  this  country,  and 
perhaps  also  in  the  ears.  Several  kinds  of  small  flies,  evidently 
different  from  the  Hessian  and  wheat  flies,  have  often  been 
observed  here,  in  fields  of  grain,  when  the  plants  are  in  flower ; 
but  their  history  has  not  yet  been  investigated,  and  the  insects 
have  not  been  scientifically  examined  and  described.  From 
the  somewhat  vague  accounts  that  have  been  given  of  them, 


DIPTERA.  499 

it  is  evident  that  they  are  much  too  large  for  any  of  the  para- 
sitical insects  which  attack  the  larvae  and  eggs  of  the  Hessian 
and  wheat  flies;  and  they  appear  sometimes  to  have  been  mis- 
taken for  the  latter.  In  an  extract  from  a  paper  by  Mr.  Worth, 
on  the  Hessian  fly,  mention  is  made  of  a  pale  yellow  worm 
(maggot),  about  three  sixteenths  of  an  inch  long,  having  been 
found  by  him  within  the  stalks  of  wheat  near  the  root,  where 
its  presence  was  detected  by  a  swelling  of  the  part  attacked. 
This  was  perhaps  the  larva  of  one  of  the  Oscinians.  A  care- 
ful examination  of  all  the  insects  that  inhabit  our  fields  of 
grain  is  very  much  wanted. 

The  various  insects,  improperly  called  bot-bees,  are  two- 
winged  flies,  and  belong  to  the  order  Diptera,  and  the  family 
CEsTRiD^E,  so  named  from  the  principal  genus  in  it.  Bot-flies 
do  not  seem  to  have  any  mouth  or  proboscis;  for  although 
these  parts  do  really  exist  in  them,  the  opening  of  the  mouth 
is  extremely  small,  and  the  proboscis  is  very  short,  and  is  en- 
tirely concealed  in  it;  so  that  these  insects,  while  in  the  winged 
state,  do  not  appear  to  be  able  to  take  any  nourishment.  They 
somewhat  resemble  the  Syrphians  in  form  and  color,  and  in 
the  large  size  of  their  heads;  but  the  eyes  are  proportionally 
small,  and  there  is  a  large  space  between  them.  The  face  is 
swoUen  or  puffed  out  before.  The  antennae  are  very  short, 
and  almost  buried  in  two  little  holes,  close  together,  on  the 
forehead.  The  winglets  are  large  and  entirely  cover  the  poisers. 
The  hind  body  of  the  females  ends  with  a  conical  tube,  bent 
under  the  body,  and  used  for  depositing  the  eggs,  which  the 
insect  lays  whilst  flying.  The  larvae  or  young  of  bot-flies  live 
in  various  parts  of  the  bodies  of  animals.  They  are  thick, 
fleshy,  whitish  maggots,  without  feet,  tapering  towards  the 
head,  which  is  generally  armed  with  two  hooks ;  and  the  rings 
of  the  body  are  surrounded  with  rows  of  smaller  hooks  or 
prickles.  When  they  are  fully  grown,  they  drop  to  the  ground 
and  burrow  in  it  a  short  distance.  After  this,  the  skin  of  the 
maggot  becomes  a  hard  and  brownish  shell,  within  which  the 
insect  turns  to  a  pupa,  and  finally  to  a  fly,  and  comes  out  by 
pushing  off  a  little  piece  like  a  lid  from  the  small  end  of  the 
shell. 


500  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 

More  than  twenty  different  kinds  of  bot-flies  are  already 
known,  and  several  of  them  are  found  in  this  country.  Some 
of  them  have  been  brought  here  with  our  domesticated  animals 
from  abroad,  and  have  here  multiplied  and  increased.  Three 
of  them  attack  the  horse.  The  large  bot-fly  of  the  horse  ( Gas- 
teropJiilus  equi)  has  spotted  wings.  She  lays  her  eggs  about 
his  knees;  the  small  red-tailed  species  [G.  hcsmorrhoidalis),  on 
his  lips;  and  the  brown  farrier  bot-fly  [G.  veterinns)  under  his 
throat,  according  to  Dr.  Roland  Green.  By  rubbing  and  biting 
the  parts  where  the  eggs  are  laid,  the  horse  gets  the  maggots 
into  his  mouth,  and  swallows  them  with  his  food.  The  insects 
then  fasten  themselves,  in  clusters,  to  the  inside  of  his  stomach, 
and  live  there  till  they  are  fully  grown.  The  following  are 
stated  to  be  the  symptoms  shown  by  the  horse  when  he  is 
much  infested  by  these  insects.  He  loses  flesh,  coughs,  eats 
sparingly,  and  bites  his  sides;  at  length  he  has  a  discharge 
from  his  nose,  and  these  symptoms  are  followed  by  a  stiff"ness 
of  his  legs  and  neck,  staggering,  difficulty  in  breathing,  con- 
vulsions, and  death.  No  sure  and  safe  remedy  has  yet  been 
found  sufficient  to  remove  bots  from  the  stomach  of  the  horse. 
The  only  treatment  to  be  recommended,  is  copious  bleeding, 
and  a  free  use  of  mild  oils,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  attack. 
The  preventive  means  are  very  simple,  consisting  only  in 
scraping  off  the  eggs  or  nits  of  the  fly  every  day.*  Bracy 
Clark,  Esq.,  who  has  published  some  very  interesting  remarks  f 
on  the  bots  of  horses  and  of  other  animals,  maintains  that  bots 
are  rather  beneficial  than  injurious  to  the  animals  they  infest. 
His  principal  work  on  this  subject  I  have  not  yet  seen.  The 
maggots  of  the  Oestrus  bovis,  or  ox  bot-fly,  live  in  large  open 
boils,  sometimes  called  wornils  or  wurmals,  that  is,  worm-holes, 
on  the  backs  of  cattle.     The  fly  is  rather  smaller  than  the  horse 

*  See  Dr.  Green's  "Natural  History  of  the  Horse-Bee,"  in  Adams's  "  Medi- 
cal and  Agricultural  Register,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  53  ;  and  the  same  in  "  The  New  Eng- 
land Farmer,"  Vol.  IV.,  p.  345. 

t  "Observations  on  the  genus  CEstrus,"  in  the  "Transactions  of  the  liinnaean 
Society,"  Vol.  III.,  p.  289,  with  figures  ;  "  On  the  insect  called  Oistros  by  the 
Ancients,"  in  Vol.  XV.  of  the  same  work ;  and  "  An  Essay  ori  the  Bots  of  Horses 
and  other  Animals."  1  vol.  4to.  Lond.  1815. 


DIPTERA.  501 

bot-fly,  although  it  comes  from  a  mnch  larger  maggot.  The 
sheep  bot-fly  ( Cephalemyia  ovis)  lays  its  eggs  in  the  nostrils  of 
sheep,  and  the  maggots  crawl  from  thence  into  the  hollows  in 
the  bones  of  the  forehead.  Deer  are  also  afllicted  by  bots  pe- 
culiar to  them.  Our  native  hare,  or  rabbit,  as  it  is  commonly 
called,  sometimes  has  very  large  bots,  which  live  under  the  skin 
of  his  back.  The  fly  (  CEstrus  buccatns)  is  as  big  as  our  largest 
humble-bee,  but  is  not  hairy.  It  is  of  a  reddish  black  color; 
the  face  and  the  sides  of  the  hind  body  are  covered  with  a 
bluish  white  bloom ;  there  are  many  small  black  dots  on  the 
latter,  and  six  or  eight  on  the  face.  This  fly  measures  seven 
eighths  of  an  inch,  or  more  in  length,  and  its  wings  expand 
about  three  quarters  of  an  inch.  It  is  rarely  seen ;  and  my 
only  specimen  was  taken  in  the  month  of  July,  many  years  ago. 

At  the  very  end  of  this  order  is  to  be  placed  a  remarkable 
group  of  insects,  w^hich  seems  to  connect  the  flies  with  the  true 
ticks  and  spiders.  Some  of  these  insects  have  wings;  but 
others  have  neither  wings  nor  poisers.  Of  the  winged  kinds 
there  is  one  [Hippobosca  equina)  that  nestles  in  the  hair  of  the 
horse;  others  are  bird-flies  [Ornithomyia),  and  live  in  the  plu- 
mage of  almost  all  kinds  of  birds.  The  wingless  kinds  have 
sometimes  been  called  spider-flies,  from  their  shape;  such  are 
sheep-ticks  [MeUophag;ns  ovis),  and  bat-ticks  {Nycteribia). 
These  singular  creatures  are  not  produced  from  eggs,  in  the 
usual  way  among  insects,  but  are  brought  forth  in  the  pupa 
state,  enclosed  in  the  egg-shaped  skin  of  the  larva,  which  is 
nearly  as  large  as  the  body  of  the  parent  insect.  This  egg-like 
body  is  soft  and  white  at  first,  but  soon  becomes  hard  and 
brown.  It  is  notched  at  one  end,  and  out  of  this  notched  part 
the  inclosed  insect  makes  its  way,  when  it  arrives  at  maturity. 

The  flea  (Pulex),  may  almost  be  considered  as  a  wingless 
kind  of  fly.  Its  proboscis  seems  to  be  intermediate  in  its  for- 
mation between  that  of  flies  and  of  bugs;  its  antennae  are 
concealed  in  holes  in  the  sides  of  its  head,  like  those  of  certain 
water-bugs  [Ncpa  and  Belostoma),  and  somewhat  resemble 
them  in  shape;  while  the  transformations  of  the  flea  are  not 
very  much  unlike  those  of  the  flies,  whose  maggots  cast  off 
their  skins  on  becoming  pupse. 


502  INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  VEGETATION. 


Having  now  arrived  at  the  end  of  my  work,  I  have  only  to 
add  a  few  remarks  by  way  of  conclusion.  It  has  been  my 
design  to  present  to  the  reader  a  sketch  of  the  scientific  ar- 
rangement of  the  principal  insects  which  are  injurious  to  vege- 
tation, not  only  in  New  England,  but  in  most  of  the  United 
States.  The  descriptions  of  the  insects,  being  drawn  up  in 
familiar  language,  will  enable  him  to  recognize  them,  when 
seen  abroad,  in  all  their  forms  and  disguises.  The  hints  and 
practical  details,  scattered  throughout  the  work,  it  is  hoped 
will  serve  as  a  guide  to  the  selection  and  the  application  of 
the  proper  remedies  for  the  depredations  of  the  insects  de- 
scribed. I  regret  that  it  has  not  been  in  my  power  to  do  full 
justice  to  this  important  subject,  which  is  far  from  having 
been  exhausted.  My  object,  however,  will  have  been  fully 
attained,  if  this  treatise,  notwithstanding  its  many  faults  and 
imperfections,  should  be  found  to  afford  any  facilities  for  the 
study  of  our  native  insects,  and  should  lead  to  the  discovery 
and  the  general  adoption  of  efficient  means  for  checking  their 
ravages. 


INDEX. 

Page. 

Page. 

Abdomen, 

.      6,  8 

Anacampsis, 

393 

Achcmou  havvk-raoth, 

248 

"           cerealella. 

392 

Acheta  abbreviata, 

.       133 

"           sarcitcUa,    . 

, 

387 

"       nij^ra, 

134 

Ancylonycha, 

26 

"      vittata,     . 

134 

Angoumois  grain-moth. 

387, 

392 

Achctada>, 

130,  131 

Anisopteryx, 

359 

Acridiuin  hcmipterum,   . 

158 

"             iEscularia, 

359 

"         suljjhuroum, 

154 

'•            pometaria, 

360 

"         tuberculatum, 

153 

"            vernata,     . 

, 

359 

Acronycta, 

33G 

Anomala  atrata. 

30 

Acronyctians  (Acronyctadae) 

,     .       336 

"        cffilcbs. 

, 

29 

Acrydium, 

150,  152 

"        lucicola, 

29 

"          alutaccum, 

150 

"        varians. 

, 

29 

"          Aniericaiium, 

.       151 

"        vitis. 

25 

"           femorale, 

152 

Antenn;e, 

, 

7 

"           femur-rubrum, 

147,  151 

Antho'.nyia  canicularis. 

494 

"          flavo-vittatum, 

151 

"           ccparum, 

, 

495 

•'          laterale. 

.       163 

"           radicum. 

494 

"          marginatum, 

158 

"           Kaphani, 

, 

494 

"          olivaccum, 

.       151 

"           scahiris. 

493 

"           ornatum,  . 

162 

Anthomyians  (Anthomy 

adae) 

493 

"          percgrinum,    . 

.       146 

Antiopa  butterfly, 

238 

*'          viridifasciatum, 

158 

Ants,          .              .207 

,  209, 

405 

406 

-^geria  Cucurbitac, 

.       253 

Ants  attend  plant-lice, 

207 

209 

"       exitiosa. 

253 

Apate  basillaris,   . 

. 

81 

"       Pyri, 

.       256 

Apatela  Aceris, 

337 

"       tipuliformis, 

255 

"       Americana, 

337 

>3Egerians  (^'Egcriadse),       24 

5,  246,  251 

Aphaniptcra, 

16 

Aglossa  pinguinalis. 

371 

Aphidians  (Aphididae), 

177 

201 

Agrilus,    . 

103 

Aphis, 

205 

Agriotes, 

49 

'♦      Brassica,  . 

, 

208 

Agrotidians  (Agrotididse), 

.       342 

<*      Caryae, 

208 

Agrotis  a;qua, 

344 

"      lanigera,    . 

. 

211 

"        a^^ricola, 

.       344 

"      Persica;, 

210 

"        aqiiiliiia. 

342.  345 

"      radicum, 

209 

*<        devastator, 

.       345 

"      Rosse, 

208 

•'        iiiennis, 

:i44 

"      Salicis, 

, 

209 

"        lateiis,     . 

.       345 

•'      Salicti, 

209 

"        messdria, 

344 

Aphrophora, 

. 

196 

•*        ocolliiia, 

345 

Apion  rostrum. 

58 

•'        Sf'getum,         . 

.    342,  344 

"      Sayi, 

. 

58 

'•        suH'usa,   . 

.       344 

Apple-tree  borer. 

94 

"        tehfera. 

344 

''          bud-moths. 

375 

377 

«'        te-s'jUata, 

.       345 

"          sphinx,     . 

250 

"        Tritu-i, 

342 

Apple-trees  injured  by  .: 

American 

Alaus, 

47 

blight. 

211 

Alder  Sphinx, 

250 

bark-lice. 

220 

,  222 

Aleppo  galls. 

432,  434 

canker-wo 

rms, 

361 

,  369 

Alucita, 

403 

caterpillar 

s, 

274, 

282, 

"        corcalolla, 

392, 396 

286,  292,  294 

,  299 

328 

331 

Alucitae, 

.    260,  403 

Apple-trees,  other  insect 

s  at- 

American  blight. 

.       211 

tacking,   . 

. 

47 

106 

Ampelopsis.     .See  Creeper. 

Apple- worm, 

• 

379 

504 


INDEX. 


Apples  attacked  by  plum 
Apples  of  Sodom, 
Apricot  bud-moth, 
Aptera,     . 
Arctia  Acrca, 

"      Americana, 

"      Argc,    . 

"      Caja, 

"      ca])rotina, 

"      fuliu;niosa, 

«'      Isabella, 

"      luctifera,    . 

•'      phalerata, 

"      Phyllira,   . 

'*     puiictatissiraa, 

"     rubricosa, 

"      textor, 

"     Yirginica, 

"     virgo, 
Arctians  (Arctiadae), 
Areoda  lauigera. 
Army  worms, 
Arrhenodcs,    . 
Ash-tree  borers, 
Asilians  (Asilidai), 
Asilus, 

"      sericeus. 
Astasia  torret'acta, 
Asterias  butterfly, 
Atlas  moth  of  China, 
Attaci, 
Attacus  Atlas,     . 

"       Cecropia, 

"       Luna, 

"       Polyphemus, 

"       Promethea, 
Attelabians  (Attclabidaj), 
Attelabus  analis, 

"         bipustulatus. 
Azalea  sphinx,     . 


Page 

•weevils,       67 

433 

378 

16 

272 

267 

26-5 

267 

272 

274 

273 

277 

266 

266 

276 

274 

276 

268 

265 

263 

21 

356 

59 

2,32 

485 

485,  486 

485 

.       337 

232 

259,  301 

260 

259,  301 

299 

.       297 

298 

.       301 

57 

57 

58 

.       251 


Bacteria  arumatia, 

"        phyllina, 
*<        rubispinosa, 
Balaninus, 

Balm  of  Gilead.     See  Poplar 
Baridius  tiinotatus, 
Bark-beetles, 
Bark-lice,  168,177,21 

"         enemies  of, 

«'         on  apple-trees, 

"        on  grape-vines, 

"         to  destroy. 
Barley,  injured  by  insects, 
Basket-worms,     . 
Batia  liavifrontclla,    . 
Bat-ticks, 
Beach-grass,  use  of,  first  pointed 

out  by  Linnajus, 
Beans  attacked  by  insects 
Bear-caterpillars, 
Bee-flies, 
Bee-moth, 
Bees,         .  .  .  404,  405, 


-tree. 


220. 


437, 


122, 
263i 


130 

130 

130 

C5 

72 
76 
224 
214 
220 
224 
221 
498 
319 
388 
501 

50 
200 
268 
484 
384 
406 


Page. 
Beeswax  devoured  by  moth-worms,  384 
Beetles,  .  .  .9,  20,  25 

501 

501 

481 

481 

100 

482 

74 

128 

419 

211 

79 

78 

119 

424 

60,  261 

484 

484 

261 

317 

330 

295 

40,  82,  251,  315 

81 

499 

499 

500 

59 

59 

69 

54 

54 

375 

174 

169 

167,  168, 169 

161 

39,  102 

43 


Belostoma, 
Bird-flies, 
Bittacomorpha,    . 
I$ittacus, 

Blackberry  bush,  its  borer. 
Black  fly. 
Black  weevil, 
Bliitta  orientalis, 
Blennocam})a, 
Blight,  American, 
"       beetle, 
"       of  pear-trees. 
Blistering  beetles, 
Bomboptera,  . 
Bombyces, 

Bombylians  (Bombyliadae), 
Bombylius  ajqualis, 
Bombyx, 

"        Cossus, 

"         grata, 

"        Mori,      . 
Borers, 

Bostrichians  (Bostrichidaj), 
Bot-bees, 
Bot-flies, 
Bots, 

Brcnthians  (Brenthida;), 
Brenthus  maxillosus, 

"         septemtrionis, 
Bruchians  (Bruchida)), 
Bruchus  \nsi. 
Bud-moths, 
Bug,  plant, 

"     squash, 
Bugs, 
Bulla, 

Buprestians  (Buprcstidic 
Buprestis  eharaeteristica, 

"         dentipes,     . 

"         divaricata, 

"         Drummondi, 

"         femorata, 

"         fulvoguttata, 

"         lurida, 

"         obscura, 

"         Yirginica, 


Butalis, 


29, 


"      cerealella, 
Butterflies, 

"  four-footed, 

Button -wood  caterpillars 
Button-wood  trees  bored  by  wood 

wasps,   .     .     .   ' 


43 
42 
44 
43 
44 
43 
43 
42 
393 
388,  392,  399 


230 
.  236 
280,  310 


426 


Cabbage  butterfly,  .             .       233 

"         caterpiliar,  .  .     233,  350 

"         cut-worm,  343,  345,  347 

"         plant-louse,  .             208 
Cabbages  injured  by  caterpillars,       350 

Calandra,        .         '  .  .        CI,  73 

"         granaria,  .             .         73 

•'         Oryzae,         .  .74 


INDEX. 

505 

Page. 

I 

age. 

Callidium, 

87 

Corura, 

326 

CiiUidium  bajulus. 

88 

Cerura  borcalis, 

326 

"         violuccum. 

88 

"       furcula, 

326 

Callimorpha  Lccoiitei,     . 

264 

Cetonia  barbata, 

35 

•'            niilitaris, 

264 

'•        crcmicola, 

37 

Calliphora  vomitoria, 

492 

"        Inda, 

35 

Calosoma  scrutator,    . 

367 

Cetnnians  (Cctoniadic), 

34 

Camel -crickets,    . 

129 

Chalcidians  (Chalcidida)), 

433 

436 

Canephorae,     . 

318 

Chafers, 

22 

Canker-worm, 

359 

Chalcophora, 

42 

Cantharides  ( Cantharididaj), 

119 

Chara);is  graminis, 

342 

Cantharis  atrata. 

123 

(;heos('-iuaggots. 

493 

"         cinerea, 

122 

Cheinatobia  brumata, 

359 

"         marginata. 

121 

Cherry-tree  slug. 

418 

*•         vittata. 

121 

123 

"           sphinx,    . 

250 

Capricorn -beetles,            .      8i 

,85 

102 

"           (wild),  its  borer. 

42 

Capsus  oblineatus, 

174 

"           caterpillars,     286, 

324 

328 

Caradrina  cubicularis,     . 

352 

Chinch  bug. 

172 

Carolina  sphinx. 

247 

(y'hionca  valga, 

482 

Carpenter-moths, 

317 

Chlamys  gibbosa, 

119 

Carpet-raoth. 

387 

Chlocaltis, 

i60 

Carpocapsa  Pomonella,    . 

379 

Chlorops  glabra, 

498 

Carrot  caterpillars,      . 

230 

"        pumilionis. 

498 

Cassida  aurichalcea, 

107 

Choerocampa, 

249 

Cassidadae, 

107 

"            Choerilus, 

251 

Caterpillars  are  the  young  of  but- 

"           Pampinatrix, 

250 

terflies  and  moths, 

225 

"           versicolor. 

251 

"           described, 

226 

<  'hrysalids, 

6 

"           false. 

408 

Chrysobothris, 

43,  44 

"           food  of, 

225 

Lhrysomela, 

108 

*•           habits  of,     . 

. 

225 

"           ca^ruleipennis,    . 

118 

"           injurious  to  gardens, 

268 

*'           Polygon!, 

118 

"           numbers  of. 

225 

"           sca'aris,  . 

117 

"            spiny,     . 

237 

"           trimaculata. 

117 

"            transformations  of,    4 

227 

"          vitivora. 

115 

"            wheat,    . 

352 

354 

Chrysomelians  (Chrysomeladaj), 

I08, 

Cecidorayia,    .             440,  441, 

454 

466 

116 

"           culmicola, 

465 

Chrysopa  perla. 

. 

215 

"           destructor,       450, 

452 

465 

Chrysops  ferrugatus. 

484 

"          Kobiiiiae, 

452 

"•        vittatus. 

, 

484 

S;llicis, 

450 

451 

Cicada, 

125, 

!78 

'I'ritici,     352,  450, 

470 

474 

"       canicularis. 

190 

Cecidomyiadaj,     . 

, 

450 

"       jiruinosa. 

190 

Cedar  (red),  insects  attacking. 

77 

"       Kosse, 

199 

Celastrus, 

, 

195 

"       sipteiidecim, 

180 

Celtis  sphinx, 

2.^0 

seventeen -year, 

178. 

180 

Cnphalemyia  ovis, 

. 

501 

Cicadians  (Cicadadtc), 

177 

17S 

Cephus, 

408 

(  inibex  Americana, 

. 

410 

"       pygmajus, 

409 

Ulmi, 

410 

Cerambycida;,             .               8 

2]  84.  85 

Cinara, 

, 

208 

Cerambyx, 

84 

Clear-winged  S]  hinx, 

251 

•'    '     cinctus. 

86 

Clfniatis  attacked  by  insects. 

, 

121 

"          palliatus, 

. 

101 

Clisiocampa  Aniericaiia, 

2ri9 

'•          violaceus. 

88 

ca.-trensis.        287, 

289, 

292 

Ceraphron  destructor. 

. 

469 

Ncustr  a,  287,  288, 

289 

292 

Cerasphorus, 

86 

"           silvatica. 

. 

291 

Ceratocampa  regalis, 

. 

307 

Clostera  Americana, 

334 

Ceratocampians  ( Ceratocampada;), 

30o 

'        anastaiiiosi-*, 

. 

3:<4 

Ceratomia  quadricornis, 

247 

Clothcs-miith. 

387 

Cercopidida;, 

196 

('li)vir-worms,     . 

, 

354 

Cercopis  igni])ccta, 

. 

196 

("lyoous. 

20 

"        obtusa. 

196 

CJlythia  dominicana. 

. 

119 

"        parallcla. 

196 

quadri^uttata, 

119 

•♦        quadrangularis, 

196 

C'lytus  flcxuosus, 

. 

90 

64 

506 


INDEX. 


Page. 
Clytus  Hayii,              .  .              90 
"      pictus,      .             .  90,  315 
"      speciosus,        .  .               89 
CoccidiE,              .            .  177,  217 
Coccinella,      .             .  .             214 
"          novemnotata,  .       215 
Coccus,            •             .  •             217 
"       Adonidum,          .  .       218 
"       arborum  linearis,  .             220 
"       Cacti,       .             .  .218 
"       conchiformis,  .              220 
"       cryptogamus,       .  .       222 
"       Hesperidum,  .             218 
Cochcnille,           .              .  217,  218 
Cock-chafer,                .  .               23 
Cockroaches,        .             .  127,  128 
Codling-moth.             .  .             379 
Coenoinyia  pallida,            .  .       487 
Colcoptera,      .             .  .          9,  20 
Columbine  roots  destroyed  by  cat- 
erpillars,       •             .  .       340 
Comma  butterfly,       .  .             241 
Conocephalus  dissimilis,  .       143 
"             ensiger,  .             142 
Conopians  (Conopidse),  .  .       489 
Conops  nigricornis,    .  .             489 
"       sagittaria,             .  .       489 
Conotrachelus  Nenuphar,  .      66,  379 
"             variegatus,  .         66 
Coreus,  lineolaris,       .  .             174 
"        rnojstus,                 .  .169 
"       ordinatus,      .  .             169 
♦'       rugator,   .             .  .169 
"        tristis,              .  .              169 
Corn  attacked  by  spindle-worms,      339 
"      destroyed  by  caterpillars,  266,  269 
"     destroyed  by  cut-worms,  343,  346 
"     moths, 
•'      weevil, 
"     worms, 
Cossus  ligniperda, 

"       Robinise, 
Cotton-worms, 
Crambidsc, 
Cranberry- worms, 
Creeper  attacked  by  insects. 


Crickets, 

Criocerians  (Crioceridida?), 

Crioccris  bipustulata, 

"         striolata, 

"         trilineata,    . 

"         vittata, 
Cryptoccphalians  (Cryptoccj 

dse), 
Cryptoccphalus  luridus. 
Cuckoo-spit, 
Cucuio,     . 
Cucumber-beetle, 
Cucumbers,  insects  attacking. 


Curculio, 


granarius, 
hilaris, 


399 

73,  74 

391,  398 

317 

316 

356 

383,  384 

382 

194,249, 

258 

130, 131 

104 

114 

.       113 

104 

109 

hali- 

119 

119 

192,  196 

48 

109 

109,  111, 

112 

61,  66 

73 

61 


Curculio  Nenuphar, 
"         Oryza;, 
"         pales,     . 

Curculionidac, 

(Currant-bush  borer, 

Cut-worms, 

Cynipida;, 

Cynips, 

"      bicolor, 
"      confluens, 
"      dichlocerus, 
"      galla?  tinctorise, 
"      nubilipennis, 
"      oneratus,  . 

"      seminator, 
"      seraipiceus, 

Cynthia  Atalanta, 
"       Cardui, 


Dahlia  attacked  by  spindle- 

Deilephila  Chamaenerii, 
"  lineata, 

DeTopeia  bella, 

"         pulchella. 

Delta-moths, 

Dermaptera, 

Desmocerus  palliatus, 

Diapheromera, 

Dicerca, 

Dicranura, 

Diplolepis, 

Diptera,  . 

Ditula  angustiorana, 

Dog's-bane  beetle, 

Dor-bug, 

Dors, 

Drop-worms, 

Dryocampa  imperialis, 
"  pellucida, 

"  rubicunda, 

"  scnatoria, 

"  stigma, 

Dung-flies, 


Earwigs,  .  .  .       127 

Elaphidion,     ...  86 

Elater  appressifrons,        .  .         48 

"      brevicornis,       .  .  49 

"       cinereus,    .  .  .48 

"       communis,       .  .  48 

"       noctilucus,  .  .         48 

"       obesus,  .  .  49 

"       occulatus,  .  .         47 

Elateridffi,        ...  45 

Elder,  its  borer,    .  .  .101 

Elm  caterpillars,  238,  240,  242,  274 

Elms,  insects  attacking,        99,  109,  117 
Elm-tree,  false  catcq^illars  on  it,       410 
"         sphinx-caterpillar,  247 

Elm-trees  bored  by  Avood-wasps,       426 
"  destroyed    by    canker- 

worms,         .  .  361,  369 

Empoa,  .  .  .  199 

Encyrtus,  .  .  .       421 


Page. 

66 

74 

61 

61 

255,  256 

341 

431,  437 

431 

435 

433 

435 

433 

434 

434 

434 

436 

243 

243 


worms,  339 

251 
251 
262 
263 
371 

16 

101 

130 

42,  43 

325 

431,  233.  434 

12,  447 

378 

118 

27 
22,  25 
319 
309 
313 
313 
312 
312 
496 


INDEX. 


507 


Erebus  Strlx, 
Eriosoina, 
Eristalis  sincerus, 
Ermine  moths, 
Erythroncura, 
Euchactes  Egle, 
Eudaraus, 

"         Tityrus, 
Eudryas  grata,     . 

"         unio, 
Eumenes, 

*'        fraterna, 
Eumoplus  auratus, 
Euplexoptera, 
Eurytoma, 

"  destructor, 

Hordei, 
Eyes  of  insects. 


Page. 

.       259 

211,  213 

488 

263,  265,  268 

199 

277 

243 

243 

330 

330 

489 

367 

118 

16 

.  437,  444,  469 

469 

439,  442 

7 


False  caterpillars,  .  .       408 

Feather- winged  moths,  .  403 

Fir  saw-fly,  .  .  .114 

Fir-trees  attacked  by  moths,  378 

"        destroyed  by  wood- wasps,  424 

Fire-beetle,     ...  48 

Flea-beetles,         .  .  .111 

Flea  tribe,       .  .  .16,501 

Flesh-fly,  .  .  .491 

Flies,  .  .  .  447 

"     flower,  .  .  .       493 

"     golden-eyed,     .  .  484 

"     how  excluded  from  houses,      493 

"     parasitic,  .  .  490 

Flower-beetles,    .  .  21,  34 

Flower -flies,  .  .  493 

Fly,  dung,  .  .  .496 

"     flesh,        .  .  .  492 

"     golden-eyed  lace-winged,  .       215 

"     hammer-headed,  .  498 

"     Hessian,        .  .  450,  452 

"     house,     .  .  .  492 

'•     meat, 

"     radish,     . 

*«     stable, 

"     viviparous, 

"     wheat. 

Fly-weevil  that  destroys  wheat, 

Forest-flies, 

Forticula, 

Frit- fly,    . 

Frog-hoppers, 

Fruit,  weevils  in. 

Fruit-flies, 

Fruit- maggots,     . 

Fruit  moth, 


492 

494 

491 

491 

470 

396 

484 

128 

498 

.     192,  196 

65,  67,  379 

497 

.       497 

379 

Fruit-trees  injured  by  beetles,  27,  31,  37 
—  canker- 
worms,           .  .  .361 

cicadas,  185 

Fur-moth,  .  .  .387 

Gad-flies,        .  .  .  483 

Galeruca  Calmariensis,     .  109,118 

"        vittata,         .  .  109 


Galerucians  (Galerucadae), 
Gallcria  ccreana, 
Gall-flics,  four- winged, 
"         two-winged. 
Gall-gnats, 


Galls, 


Page. 

.       109 

384 

431,  436 

497 

450,  451 


408,  432,  436,  497 


Gasterophilus  equi,  .  .       500 

"  haemorrhoidalis,  500 

"  veterinus,  .       500 

Gastropacha  Americana,        .  293 

"  Ilicitolia,     .  .       293 

"  Velleda,  .  293 

Geometers  (Geometrae),  .       356 

Geometra  catenaria,  ,  358 

Geometni).  .  ,  260,  356 

Glaucopidians  (Glaucopididai),  246,  257 


Glaucopis  Pholus, 
Gnat,  snow,    . 
"     wheat, 
"     wingless, 
Gnats, 

"      long-legged, 
"      gall, 
Gnophria  vittata, 
Goat-moths, 
Goldsmith-beetle, 
Golden-rod,  insects  on, 
Goliah-beetle, 
Gonoccrus, 
Gortyna  flavago, 
"        leucostigma, 
Zeae, 
Grain-moths, 
Grain-weevil, 
Grain-worms, 
Grape-vine  caterpillars, 
*'  leaf-hopper, 

"  Procris,   . 

sphinx. 


261 
482 
470,  474 
482 
447,  448,  449,  450 
481 
.       450 
262 
.      317 
21 
90,  122 
35 
.       171 
341 
.       341 
340 
387,  390 
73 
352,  473 
248,  249,  329 
198 
257 
248,  249 
Grape-vines  injured  by  bark-lice,      224 
by  false-cater- 
pillars,    .  .  .  413 

by  other  insects, 

22,  29,  31,  114 
Graspers,  .  .  127,  129 


Grasshopper,  its  growth  and  chang 

es,  5 

"              See  Locust. 

Grasshoppers, 

.     130 

136 

"             are  locusts. 

125 

Gray  worm,    . 

352 

Grease-moth, 

371 

Ground-beetles, 

21 

Grouse-locust, 

. 

161 

Grubs, 

3,  20 

Gryllidffi, 

130 

136 

Gryllotalpa  brevipennis. 

131 

"           didactyla. 

132 

Gryllus,           .        '     . 

130 

"       bivittatus, 

. 

151 

"       chrysomelas. 

158 

*'       equalis,    . 

155 

"       erythropus,    . 

152 

"       maculatus. 

. 

137 

"       migratorius, 

146, 

152 

508 


INDEX. 


Gryllus  sulphureus, 
"        Virginianus, 
Gymnodus  scaber, 


iteomaciilatus, 


liadse) 


Hackberry  sphinx, 
Hag -moth, 
Hair-moth, 
Haltica  chalybea, 

"      Cucumeris,    . 

"      fuscuhi.   . 

"      pubescens, 

"      striolata, 
Halticada?, 
Hare  bot-fly, 
Harlequin  caterpillars, 
Harnessed  moth, 
Hiirpy-fly, 

Harvest-flies,         .       125 
"  dog-day, 

•*  frosted, 

"  leaping, 

Hawk-moths, 
Hazel-nut  weevil, 
Hedge-hog  caterpillar, 
Hegemon  Goliatus,    . 
Hemiptera, 

"  heteroptera, 

"  homoptera, 

Hemiptycha, 
Hepialidae, 
Hepiolus  argen 

"         Humuli, 
Herminians  (Hermini 
Hesperiadae, 
Hessian  fly,     . 
Hickory  borers,    . 

"         caterpillars, 

"        plant-louse, 
Hippobosca  equina, 
Hispa  raarginata, 
"      quadrata, 
"      rosea, 
"      suturalis, 
Hispada;, 
Hog-caterpillar, 
Homalomyia  scalaris, 
Homaloptera, 
Homoptera, 
Honey-dew,    . 
Hop-vine  caterpillars,  23 

"        Hepiolus,  . 
Horn-bugs, 

Horn-tailed  wood-wasps 
Horse-bot, 

Jlorsechostnut  caterpilla: 
Horse-flies, 
House-fly, 

Humming-bird  moths, 
Hybernia  defoliaria, 

"         Tiliaria, 
Hybernians  (Hyberniada?) 
Ilydrocampa, 
Hylecoetus  Americanus, 
Hylobius, 


Page. 

154 

158 

36 

250 

325 

387 

114 

112 

112 

112 

113 

111 

501 

276 

266 

492 

168,  177,  178 

190 

190 

191 

229,  245 

Go 

.       273 

35 

10,  167 

168,  169 

168,  177 

193 

.       313 

315 

.       314 

372 

.       242 

450.  452 

40.  43.  86 

278,  297 

.       208 

501 

106 

106 

106 

107 

105 

249,  251 

493 

16 

7,  168,  177 

207 

,240,241,372 

314 

37 

12,  422 

.       500 

283 

.       483 

492 

245.  252 

370 

.       370 

358 

.       372 

51 

61 


Hylobius  picivorus, 
Hylurgus  dentatus,    . 

"  terebrans, 

Hymcnoptcra. 
Hypena  Humuli, 

"        rostralis, 
Hyphantria, 
Hypogymna  dispar,   . 

lassus  Rosse, 
Ichncumones  minuti, 
Ichneumon-flies,  64 


Insects,  structure  of, 

"       are  produced  from 


Joint-worm, 
Jumpers, 

Kalmia  sphinx,    , 
Katy-did, 
Kormes,    . 
Knot-grass  beetle, 

Lachnus, 

Lackey  caterpillars,    . 

Lady -birds. 

Lamia  titillator, 

Laphria. 

"       flavibarbis,     . 
"       tergissa, 
"       thoracica, 
Lappet  caterpillars. 
Larva, 
Lasiocampa  Dumeti, 

"  processionea 

"  Quercus, 

*'  Koboris, 

Kubi, 

"  Triiblii, 

Lasiocampians  (Lasiocampad 
Lasioptcra, 
Laurel  sphinx, 
Laverna, 
Leaf-beetles, 
Leaf-hoppers, 
Leaf-rollers, 

Lepidoptera,  .  1 

Leptura, 

"       picta, 
"        Kobinia;, 
Le])turian8  (Lepturadai) 
Lilac  sphinx, 
Limacodes, 

"  cippus, 

"  Delphinii, 

"  pithecium, 

"  scapha. 

Lime  or  linden  tree  insects, 

240,  337,  369 

Linnajus,  anecdote  respecting.  50 

"       made  natural  history  useful,  49 

Liparians  (Liparida;),      .  .281 

Liparis,  .  .  .  281 


Page. 

62 

77 

76 

11,  404 

.       373 

373 

.       276 

282 

.       199 

437 
288,  431.  427, 
437,  469 
3 
eggs,  3 

441, 443 
127,  130 


.  250 
138 

.  217 
118 

.       208 

287 

214,  215 

93 

.       486 

484 
.       484 

484 

.       292 

5 

.       285 

304 
.       285 

285 
.       285 

285 

285 

454 
.       250 

393 

103 
192,  196 

374 

1,  225,  228 

84 

90 

90 

84,  101 

.       250 

322 
.       323 

323 
.       324 

323 
97,  117, 


ae), 


INDEX. 


509 


Lithosia  quftdra, 
Lithosians  (Lithosiadae), 
Locust,     .  .  , 

"      grouse, 
(Cicada), 


Page. 
263 
126 
145 
161 
178 


Locusts,  ,  125,  130,  143,  152 

Locust-tree  butterfly,      .  .       244 

"           caterpillar,  ,             244 

"  boring  caterpillars,         315 

"            other  insects  upon  it, 

59,  90,  107,  193.  452 
Locust  (honey)  attacked  by  insects,  122 

Locusta,              .            .  150,  152 

"        abortiva,        .  .             I6O 

"        sequalis,              .  .155 

"        agilis,            .  .             141 

"        Carolina,             .  .       153 

"        conspersa,     .  .             I6O 

"        corallina,             ,  .       153 

"        curtipennis,  .             ifio 

"         curvicauda,         .  .       140 

"        eucerfta,       .  .             156 

"        fasciata,               .  .       149 

"        infuscata,      ,  .             1,58 

"        latipennis,          .  .       155 

"        laurifolia,      .  .              139 

"        leucostoraa,        .  .155 

"        maritima,      .  ,             154 

"        marmorata,         .  .       1.55 

"        migratoria,    .  .     146,  152 

"        nebulosa,            .  .157 

"        oblongifolia,  .             139 

•'        perspicillata,      .  .139 

"        radiata,         .  .             159 

"        sulphurea,          .  .       154 

"        viridi-fasciata,  .             158 

Locustadffi,           .            .  130,  143 

Loopers,          .             .  .          '3,56 

Lophocanipa  Caryse,        .  .       279 

"             maculata,  .             279 

"             tessellaris,  263,  280 

LophjTus  Ahbotii,      .  .              411 

"          Abietis,            .  .       411 

"          Americanus,  .             4ll 

"          compar,            .  .       411 

Loxotaenia  Rosaceana,  .             376 

Lozotaenia  oporana,          .  .       376 

Lucanians  (Lucanidse),  .               37 

Lucanus  Capreolus,         .  .         39 

"         Dama,           .  .               33 

Lucilia  Casar,      .             .  .       492 

Ludius,            ...  48 

Lycenians  (Lycsenadse),  .       235 

Lyda,              ...  408 

Lygaeus  leucopterus,        .  .       172 

Lymexylidae,               .  .               50 

Lymexylon  navale,          .  .         50 

"           sericeum,  ,               51 

Lytta  atrata,         .             .  .123 

"      cinerea,              .  .             122 

"      vittata,        .             .  .121 

Macrodactylus  subspinosa,  .               30 

Maggot,  its  transformations,        .  5 


Page. 

Maggots,         .             .  .            448 

"        in  cheese,         .  .      493 

"         in  fruit,              .  497 

"        in  the  human  body,  493 

"         in  meat,       .  .    491,  492 

"         in  radishes  and  turnips,     494 

"         in  roots,             .  ,       485 

"         rat-tailed,   .  .             488 

"         wheat,                .  470,  473,  498 

Mamestra  picta,          .  .            351 

Mantes,    .             .             .  127,  129 

Maple  caterpillars,      .  .             337 

Maple  (sugar),  its  borer,  .         89 

Marshes,  salt,  insects  injuring,  147 

May-beetles,         .             .  22,  27,  341 

May-flies,        .             .  .      11,  372 
Meadows  injured  by  insects,   24,  27,  49 

Meal-moth,           .             .  .371 

Mealy-bug,     .             ,  .             218 

Melanotus,             .             .  .48 

Meilophagus  Ovis,      .  .             50 1 

Mcloe  angusiicollis,         .  .124 

Melolontha,     .             .  .22,  28 

"           subspinosa,   .  .         30 

"          variolosa,  .               28 

Melolonthians  (Melolonthadte),  23 

Membracidse,               .  .             192 

Menibracis  acuminata,     .  .193 

'*          Arapelopsidis,  .    192,  195 

"          bimaculata,    .  192,  193 

"          binolata,  .    192,  195 

"          bubalus,         .  .       192 

"          camelus,  .             192 

"          Cissi,               ,  .195 

"          concava,   .  .             192 

"          diceros,           .  .192 

"          emarginata,  .             192 

"          latipes,           .  .       192 

"          sinuata,    .  .             192 

"          taurina,          .  .192 

"          univittata,  .    192,  194 

"          vau,    .             .  .       192 

Metamorphoses,          .  .                4 

Midas  hiatus,       .             .  .       486 

Midges,           .             .  .    450,  483 

Milesia  excentrica,           .  .       488 

Milk-weed  beetle,      .  .            Il7 

"         caterpillars,   .  .       276 

Millers,            .             .  .    259,  268 

Mole-cricket,        .             .  .131 

Monohammus,             .  .               93 

Mosquito,  ii8  transformations,     .  4 


Mosquitos,  .  .  447,  448,  449 

Moih,  origin  of  the  word,  .       382 

Moths,  .  ,  .    229,  259 

"      in  houses,  how  destroyed,       389 

Moth-worms,        .  .  382,  383,  388 

Muck-worm,  .  .  27 

Musca  Ca;sar,       .  .  .       492 

"      domestica,        .  .  492 

"      Harpyia,    .  .  .       492 

"      vomitoria,        .  .  492 

Muscans  (Muscadaj),       .  .       490 

Mustard  butterfly,     .  .  233 


510 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Mustard  caterpillar,         .  .       233 

Mycetophilae,                .  .             449 

Mydas  tilata,         .              .  .       486 

Myopa  ni<i;ripcnnis,  .              489 

Myrtle  bark-louse,           .  .       218 

Nemobius,      .             .  .             134 

Nepa,        .             .             .  .501 

Nettle  butterfly,          ,  .             243 

Neuroptera,          .             .  .11 

Neuter  insects,            .  .             40-5 

Noctua  clandestina,          .  .       348 

"       devastator,     .  .             345 

"       xylina,     .             .  .356 

Noctuae,           .             .  .    260,  335 

Nonas^rians  (Nonagriadae),  .       338 

Notodonta  concinna,  .             329 

"           unicornis,       .  .       327 

Notodontians  (Notodontadae),  321 

Nutgalls,                .              .  .       432 

Nut-weevil,    ...  65 

Nycteribia,           .             .  .       501 

Oak-apples,     .             .  •             433 

Oak-pruner,           .             .  .86 

Oak-caterpillars,  291,  298,  30G,  311,  319 

Oak-gallflies,        .             .  433,  434 

Oaks,  insects  attacking,  44,  61, 181,  194 

Oberea,     .              .             .  .100 

Ocelli,              ...  7 

Oicanthus  niveus,            .  .135 

QCcophora  granella,    .  .             393 

Qidipoda,               .             .  .152 

"         discoidea,     .  .             153 

"         fenestralis,         .  153,  157 

(Estrians  ((Estridae),  .             499 

Oestrus  bovis,       .              ,  .       500 

"       buccatus,        .  .             501 

Oiketikus,             .             .  .318 

Oil-beetles,     .             .  .             123 

Omaloplia  scricea,             .  .         21) 

"          vespertina,  .               29 

Onion-fly,              .              .  .495 

Onions  destroyed  by  maggots,  495 

Orchelimum  gracile,  .             142 

"            vulgare,       .  .142 

Orgyia  antiqua,           .  .             284 

"       leucostigma,         .  .       284 

Ornithomyia,               .  .             501 

Ortalidians  (Ortalididae,  .       497 

Orthoptera,      .             .  .      10,  125 

"          ambulatoria,  127,  129 

"          cursoria,  .              127 

"          raptatoria,     .  127,  129 

"          saltatoria,  .     127,  130 

Oryssus,    ....       429 

"        affinis,            .  .              430 

•'        hajmorrhoidalis,  .       430 

"        maurus,         .  .             430 

"        Sayii,      .             .  .430 

"        terminalis,    .  .             430 

Oscinians  (Oscinidae),     .  .       498 

Oscinis  frit,     ...  498 

"       lineata,     .             .  .       498 

Osmodcrraa  eremicola,  .              37 


Osmoderma  scaber, 

Ouraptcryx  Sarabucaria, 

Owl -moth,  great, 

Owlet-moths, 

Ox  bot-fly, 

Oxya, 


Page. 
36 
358 
259 
335 
500 
151 


Pack-moth,          .            .  .       387 

Palpi.               ...  7 

Pandeleteius,       .             .  .61 

Papilio  Asterias,         .             .  232 

Papiliones,            .             .  .       229 

Parsley-caterpillars,   .             .  230 

Parsley-worms,    .              .  .       230 

Pea- weevil,     ...  54 

Peach-tree  borer,              .  .       253 

"          plant-lice,             .  204,  210 

"          Thrips,           .  .       204 

Pear-tree  borer,           .             .  256 

slug,     .             .  .418 

Pear-trees  bored  by  wood-wasps,      424 

"  injured  by  bark -lice,         222 

"  other  insects  attacking, 

21,  78, 187,  201 

Pears,  worms  in,         .             .  382 

Pease,  insects  attacking,  .         54 

Pectinated  antennae,                .  257 

Pelidnota  punctata,          .  .         22 

Penthina  comitana,    .             .  377 

"         luscana,            .  .       377 

"         oculana,      .             .  377 

Perophora  Melsheimerii,  .       319 

Petrophila,     ...  372 

Phalaena  Aceris,               .  .       337 

"         anastomosis,            .  336 

"         brumata,      .             .  359 

"         vernata,             .  .       359 

Phalsena?,              .             .  229,  259 

Phalangopsis  maculata,           .  137 

Phaneroptera  angustifolia,  .        140 

PhilAmpelus  Achemon,          .  248 

"            Satellitia,    .  .       24S' 

Phryganeadse,             .            .  372 

Phyllium  pulchrifolium,  .       129 

"           siccitolium,              .  129 

Phyllophaga  fraterna,      .  .         28 

•*            Georgicana,       .  28 

"            hirticula,     .  .         28 

"            piiosicollis,        .  28 

•'             quercina,     .  .         26 

Phylloptera  oblongifolia,        .  139 

Phvtocoris  lineolaris,       .  .174 

Piercer,             .             .              .  8,  404 

Piercers,                 .              .  .       404 

Pimpla  atrata,             .             .  427 

"       lunator,    .             .  .       427 

Pine  saw-flies,              .             .  411 

Pine-tree  sphinx,             .  .       250 

Pine-trees  attacked  by  moths,  378 

by  wood-wasps, 

423,  427,  428 

other  insects  at- 
tacking them,       42,  44,  62,  63,  75, 

76,  77,  78,  87,  89,  102 


INDEX. 


511 


Piophila  easel, 
Pissodcs, 
Plant-bug, 
Plant-lice,     . 

cabbage, 


Page. 

.       498 

63 

.       174 

168,  177,  201,  20.5 

208 


"          downy,      .  .             211 

"          hickory,           .  ,       208 

"          leaping,     .  .             201 

"         peach-tree,      .  204,  210 

"         rose,           .  .             208 

"          willow,            .  .       208 

"          on  roots,    ,  .             209 

"          how  to  destroy,  213,214 

"          their  enemies,  .             214 

Platygaster,          .             .  368,  469 

Platyomides,                .  .             37,5 

Platyphyllum  concavum,  .       139 

Plum-tree  caterpillars,  .    326,  328 

"          slugs,               .  .       419 

"          warts,        .  .         69 

Plum-weevil,       .             .  55^  379 

Pa?cilochroma  comitana,  .             377 

Pontia  oleracea,  .  .  .  233 
Poplar-tree  caterpillars,  238,  325,  333 
Poplars,  other  insects  attacking,  85,  93 

Porthesia  auriflua,     .  .             282 

"          chrysorrhaea,    .  .282 

Potato-fly,      .             .  .    121,  123 
Potato-ro't,            71,  104,  113.  121,' 174, 
215,  340,  495 
Potato-vines,  insects  attacking,        104, 
120,  122,  124,  173,  246,  340 

Potato-worm,       .              .  .       246 

Potato  (sweet),  insects  on,  .             107 

Potter-wasp,         .             .  .       357 

Prioiiians  (Prionidse),  .               84 

Prionus  brevicornis,         .  ,         84 

"        cylindricus,  .               85 

"        laticollis,             .  .         84 

"        unicolor,        .  .                85 

Procris  Americana,          .  .257 

"       ampelophaga,  .             257 

"       Vitis,        .             .  .257 

Progne  butterfly,        .  .             241 

Psilura  monacha,              .  .       282 

Psyche,            .             .  .             31 8 

Psychians  (Psychadse),   .  .       318 

Psylla,             .             .  .             201 

"      Pyri,          .             .  .203 
Pteromalus,    .             .         402,  442,  469 

"           Vanessae,      .  .240 

Pterophoridaj,             .  .             403 

Pterophorus,         .             .  .       403 

Ptychoptera  clavipes,  .             481 

Pulex,      .             .             .  .501 

Pulicidae,         .             .  .               I6 

Pupa,        ....  6 

Pupariura,       .             .  .             459 

Purslane  sphinx,               .  .       25 1 

Pygac-ra  rainistra,         .  .              332 

Pyralidcs,             .             .  260,  371 

Pyralis  farinalis,          .  .             371 

"       Poraana,               .  .       379 

Pyrgota  undata,         .  .            489 


Pyropa  furcata,    . 
Pyrophorus,   . 

Radish-fly, 

Radishes,  injured  by  maggots, 

Rhnphitelus, 

Rhagium  lineatum,    . 

Rhipiptera, 

Rhubarb-root  maggots, 

Rhynchaenus, 

"  Argula, 

"  Cerasi, 

"  nasicus. 

"  nemorensis, 

"  Nenuphar, 

"  Strobi, 

Rhynchites  bicolor,    . 
Rhynchophoridffi, 
Rhyparochromus  devastator. 
Rice- weevil, 
Rose-bud  moths, 
Rose-bug, 
Rose-bush  galls, 

"  leaf-hopper,  . 

"  plant-louse, 

slug, 
'•  attacked  by  beetles, 


Runners, 
Rustic-moths, 
Rutilians  (Rutiladae), 

Sack-bearer,    . 
Salt-marsh  caterpillars,  . 
Sand-flies, 
Saperda, 

"       bivittata, 

"       calcarata, 

"       Candida, 

"       carcharias, 

"       tridentata,     . 

"       tripunctata, 

"       Yestita, 
Sarcophaga  Georgina,      . 
Sarcophagans, 
Sargus,     . 

Sassal'ras-tree  caterpillars, 
Satellitia  hawk-moth, 
Saturnia  lo, 

"        Maia, 

"        Proserpina, 
Saturnians  (Saturniadae), 
Saw-flies, 

Saw-horned  beetles, 
Scarabaiians  (Scarabaeidae), 
Scarabaius  Indus, 

"  relictus,    . 

Scarlet  grain, 

Scatomyians  (Scatomyzadae) 
Scatophaga  furcata, 

"  postilena, 

Scientific  names  useful, 
Scolytidae, 
Scolytus  destructor, 


Page. 

496 

48 

494 

494 

469 

102 

15 

485 

61 

66 

69 

65 

63 

66,  379 

63 

58 

52 

72,  173 

73 

75,  378 

30 

435 

199 

208 

415 

29,  30, 

58 

127 

342 

22 

319 
269 
483 
93 
94 
93 
94 
94 
98 
100 
96 
491 
491 
488 
300 
248 
304 
305 
305 
295 
407 
39 
20 
35 
27 
217 
496 
496 
496 
17 
76 
76 


512 


INDEX. 


Scolytus  Pyri, 

"         terebrans, 
Scutel, 
Scymnus, 
Selandria  barda, 

"         pyf^ni'iea, 

"         Kosa;, 

•'         Vitis, 

'•         (Blennocampa) 

<<  k< 

Semicolon  butterfly, 

Sericaria, 

Sesia  diffinis, 

"     pelasgus,     . 
Sesia;, 

Shagbark.     See  Walnut 
Sheep  bot-fly, 
"      ticks,    . 
Silk,  native,         . 
Silk- worm, 
Simaethis, 

Simulium  molestum, 
"         nocivum, 
Siphonaptera, 
Sirex  Coluinba,    . 
Sitophilus, 
Ski|)pc'rs, 
Shig-catorpillars, 
Slug  worm, 
Slugs, 
Smerinthi, 
Smeriiithus,    . 

*'  excaecata, 

"  Juglandis, 

"  niyops, 

Snout-bectles, 
Snow-gnat, 
Sodom,  apples  of. 
Soldier-flics, 
Soothsayers,  . 
Spanish-flies, 
Span-worms, 
Spectrum  blvittatum, 
"  fcnioratuni, 

Sphecomyia  undata, 

"  valida,    . 

Sphex, 

Sphex-flies,     . 
Sphiiige-, 
Sphinx  Carolina, 
"        cinerca,    . 
"       conit'erarum, 
•'       drnj)ifcrarum, 
"        (jordins, 
••       Ilyliens, 
"       Ka'inia;, 
"       quin  (uemaculatus, 
Sphvrn  (;(•;. ha  In  brevic(nnis, 
Spidcr-flios. 
Sjiilonota  coinitana,   . 
Spindle-worm,      . 
Si'inners,  .  , 

S/rino  •beetles,     . 
Squash -bug,    . 


Page. 

80 

76 

20 

.       215 

415 

.       415 

415 

413.  415 

^thiops,  418 

Cerasi,      419 

239 

.       281 

251 

.       251 

245 

501 

501 

295,  30-2 

201,  295 

.       371 

482 

.       483 

16 

.       425 

73 

230,  242 

323 

418 

408,  414 

.       246 

250 

.       250 

250 

.       250 

61 

.       482 

433 

.       487 

127,  129 

119 

356 

.       130 

130 

.       489 

489 

489 

489 

229,  245 

247 

200 

250 

.       250 

250 

250 

250 

.       247 

497 

.       501 

377 

.       339 

261 

45 

169 


Squash-vine  ^,geria, 
S(juash- vines,  insects  injuring, 
Stag-beetles,  . 
Star-wort  gall-fly, 
Stenocorus,     . 

'•  cinctus, 

"  cyaneus 

"  garganieus 

"  lineatus, 

•*  putator. 

Sting, 
Stingers,  . 
Stinging  caterpillars, 
Stomoxys  calcitrans, 
Storthygncerus, 
Stratiomyadae, 
Stratiomys, 
Strepsiptera, 
Suture, 

Syrphians  (Syrphidse) 
Syrphus, 

Tabanus  atratus,  . 
"        cinctus, 
"        lineola, 
Tachina, 

"        vivida, 
Tachinar'ae, 
Tapestry-moth, 
Tarsi, 

Tent-making  caterpillars, 
I'enthredinidse, 
Tcnthredo  Cerasi, 
Tephritis  Asteris, 
Tetrix, 

"      bilineata, 
"      dorsalis,     . 
"      lateralis, 
"      ornata, 
"      parvipennis, 
"      quadrimaculata, 
"      sordida, 
Tettigonia, 

"  Fabse, 

*'  Kosa;, 

"  Vitis, 

Tettigoniada;, 

Tettix, 

Thecla  Favonius, 

"       Humuli, 
Thistle  butterfly, 
Thola, 
Thorn  hedges  injured 

lars,  . 
Thrips, 

"       cerealium, 
Thysanoptera, 
Tih'ia. 

Tiger  moths,   . 
Timber  beetles,    . 
Tinea  crinella, 
"      destructor, 
"      flavifrontella, 
"      granella,    . 


by  catcrpil 


Page. 

252 

169,  252 

37 
497 

86 

86 
101 

86 
102 

86 
8,  404 
404 
303 
491 
469 
487 
488 

15 
107 
488 
216 

483 
483 
483 
368 
490 
490 
387 


286 
407 
418 
498 
161 
162 
162 
163 
162 
163 
162 
162 
197 
201 
199 
199 
196 
197 
235 
235 
243 
217 

285 
204 
205 

17 

8 

265 

60 
387 
388 
388 
390 


50, 


199, 
198, 


263, 


387, 


INDEX. 


513 


Page. 

Page. 

Tinea  Hordei, 

393 

Vaporer  moths, 

284 

"      mellonella, 

.       384 

Vine  saw-fly. 

.       413 

"      pellioiiella, 

387 

Virgin's  bower,  insects  oi 

, 

121 

"      Pomonella, 

.       379 

Visor, 

21 

"     tapetzella, 

387 

"     vestianella, 

.       387 

Walkers, 

127,  129 

Tineae, 

.    260,  382 

Walking  leaves,   . 

.       129 

Tineans  (Tineadai), 

383,  387 

Walnut-tree  beetles, 

81 

Tityrus  skipper, 

243 

"            caterpillars. 

297 

307,  323 

Tomicus  exesus, 

77 

"            sphinx, 

.       250 

"         liminaris, 

78 

Wasps, 

404 

405,  406 

Pini,       . 

78 

Wax-moth, 

.       384 

Pyri, 

80 

Wax- work  plant  attacked  by 

nsects. 

Tortoise-beetles,  . 

.       107 

195 

Tortrices, 

.    2G0,  375 

Web-worms, 

.       274 

Tortrix  Sereana,    . 

.       384 

Weevils, 

18,  52.  473 

Torymus, 

.    442,  44.5 

"       black,     . 

74 

Trachj^Dteris, 

44 

"        brown, 

352 

Tragocephala, 

158 

Wheat  injured  by  insects. 

73, 

172,  205, 

Transformations, 

4 

352,  390,  392,  441,  453, 

464 

470,  498 

"               imperfect, 

127 

Wheat-caterpillar, 

352,  354 

Tree-beetles, 

21,  22 

Wheat-flies,  . 

450, 

470,  498 

Tree-hoppers, 

192 

Wheat- moths. 

390,  392 

Tremex  Columba, 

.       425 

Wheat- weevil. 

73 

Trichius  scaber, 

36 

Wheat-worm, 

.       352 

Trichoptera, 

16 

Whortleberry  sphinx. 

250 

Trochilium  denudatum, 

252 

Willow  caterpillars, 

238,  325 

Turnip  butterfly. 

.       233 

"       gall-gnat. 

451 

"       caterpillar, 

233 

"       plant-louse. 

.       209 

"     fly, 

111,  115 

Willow-herb  sphinx, 

251 

"       insects,           .         11 

I,  115,  493 

Windsor  bean  attacked  by 

insects. 

Turpentine-motlis, 

.       379 

122,  200 

Tussock  moths, 

279,  282 

Wire-Avorms, 
Wood-wasps, 

45, 

341,  348 

422 

Unicom  moth, 

.       327 

Woolly  bears. 

.       263 

UroceridsB, 

422 

Urocerus  abdomiualis,     . 

.       428 

Xenos  Peckii, 

15 

'•         albicornis,    . 

427 

Xiphj'dria, 

.       428 

gigas,     . 

.       424 

"          albicornis. 

428 

"         Juvencus,    . 

424,  427 

"          raellipes. 

.       429 

"         nitidus, 

.       427 

Xyleutes  Cossus, 
"        Robinise, 

317 
.       317 

Vanessa, 

238 

'•        Antiopa, 

.       238 

YponomcutadfP, 

383,  392 

"        C.  album,      . 

241 

Ypsolophus  granellus,     . 

.       393 

"        C.  argenteum,    . 

.       241 

"        Comma, 

241 

Zebra  caterpillar, 

. 

351 

"        Interrogationis, 

.       239 

Zeuzera,   . 

.       314 

*•        Progne, 

241 

Zeuzerians  (Zeuzeradse), 

313 

Vanessians  (Vanessiada?), 

.       238 

^v>i>^,7  ^P 


,-U^tt.  k^ytn*^ 


Vi- 


1)rf 


